Reading time: 3 minutes
Introduction
Welcome back to the weekly newsletter.
Email should help you, not own you. If your inbox feels like a trap, this week is your reset. We’ll run a simple 15-minute sprint that clears the mess and keeps it clean. Fast & clear rules that can help you stop drowning in your inbox.
Weekly highlight: Clear inbox to zero in 15 minutes.
Overwhelm comes from slow decisions and random checks. Or going through the same emails 4-5 times multiplying the work. We’ll flip that. One short sprint. One tight flow. Batch the noise, act on the few that matter, and park the rest in the right spot. You’ll finish with a clear inbox, a short action list, and a setup that stays light.
Setup (2 minutes)
Set a timer for 15 minutes. Full screen your email. Turn on “auto-advance” (open next message after an action). Enable keyboard shortcuts. Create four folders/labels: Action-Today, Waiting-On, Read-Later, Reference. That’s your whole system.
Batch the Noise (3 minutes)
Use search to clear low-value mail in bulk: Search “unsubscribe”, “no-reply”, “notification”. Select all. Archive or delete. Do the same for social updates and promos. If a sender is always noise, make a rule now: skip inbox, label Read-Later. One minute spent here saves hours next time you go through the inbox.
The 5-Move Flow (8 minutes)
You will touch each mail once. No parking in inbox. Five choices only:
- Do (≤2 min) - Quick reply? Confirm date? Send it now. Then Archive. Inbox is not a task list.
- Schedule (>2 min) - Needs real work? Move to Action-Today. Add a calendar slot or task with a verb and a due time. Archive the email (your task holds the link or ID).
- Delegate - Forward to the right owner with one line of context and a deadline. Add a copy to Waiting-On. Archive the original.
- Reference - Info you might need later (receipts, tickets, decisions). Label Reference and Archive. Search will find it.
- Delete - If it’s nothing, make it nothing. Delete without guilt. Don’t just hoard random emails.
Move fast. Default to Archive. Star only what you’ll do today (and keep that list very short).
Speed Tools (use them, they matter)
Shortcuts (Gmail style): E = Archive, # = Delete, R = Reply, A = Reply-All, F = Forward, S = Star, Shift+U = Mark Unread, L = Label, V = Move. (Check settings to enable them!)
Outlook users: map your own quick keys (Reply, Archive, Move), add them to the ribbon, and use them only.
Snooze time-based items (tickets, deliveries) to the day you need them. Rules for repeat noise: route to Read-Later by default.
Keep It at Zero (simple, not strict)
Run a micro-triage twice a day. Morning: 5 minutes. Late afternoon: 5 minutes. Same five choices. No all-day checking. If Action-Today grows, book time or cut scope. The inbox stays clear because actions live where they belong: calendar, task list, or archive.
Common Traps (and fixes)
- Endless rereads → One-touch rule. Decide once and move on.
- Inbox as to-do → Tasks go to your planner, not your inbox.
- CC storms → Filter by sender/subject; batch-archive.
- Huge threads → Reply at the top with a one-line summary + next step. Then archive.
- Fear of delete → Archive instead. Search is your safety net.
Finish the run and close email.
Application
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Set timer 15. Full screen. Shortcuts on.
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Create: Action-Today, Waiting-On, Read-Later, Reference.
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Bulk clear unsubscribe/no-reply/notification.
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Process the rest with the five moves.
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Book two 5-minute triages for weekdays.
Summary
Clarity beats volume of mails. Batch the noise, act on the few, and archive the rest. Keep tasks out of your inbox. Ten minutes in the morning and five later will hold the line. Email stops shouting. Your day opens up.
Till next time,
Maciej
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