---
title: Inbox Zero
kind: blog
description: 'I just watched Merlin Mann’s brilliant productivity video "Inbox Zero" from 2007 for the second time, these are my unedited notes from the video:'
words: 89
readingMinutes: 1
created: '2009-04-04T19:46:14.000Z'
updated: '2026-06-27T21:03:45+02:00'
tags:
  - productivity
  - email
  - howto
---
*   Time and attention are finite. _Demands_ on your time and attention are infinite.
*   Email's just a medium. It's not a purpose in itself.
*   Have a place for anything - thoughts, ideas, pictures, business cards etc. - so you don't use your inbox for storage or as a to-do list.
*   Don't _check_ your mail, process it. Avoid skimming/reading the same mail twice.
*   Actions, in order of desirability: Delete/Archive; Delegate; Respond; Defer; Do
*   Process mails less often. Consider closing e-mail app once in a while.
*   Use templates to automate frequent responses.