Inbox zero for tasks
Capture anywhere, then empty the Inbox daily with four decisions, so nothing important hides in a pile.
Last reviewed
Inbox zero is not about having nothing to do. It is about having nothing undecided. An empty inbox means every task you captured has a place, a date or a reason to exist.
Capture without thinking
Make capturing cheap, so you do it every time:
- Quick add understands dates, projects, labels and priorities as you type.
- Forward emails to your private address with email to task.
- Share a page or text from your phone straight into a task (capture).
Empty it once a day
Open the Inbox and make one of four decisions for each task:
- Do it if it takes two minutes or less.
- Date it if it belongs to a day; with the keyboard this is a few keys per task.
- File it into a project, with a label for its context (labels).
- Delete it if it no longer matters. It goes to the trash, so you can change your mind.
Five minutes in the morning is usually enough. The goal is an Inbox with nothing in it when you are done.
Pair it with GTD
Inbox zero is the “clarify” step of Getting Things Done. The GTD guide and the GTD setup template give you the lists to file into.