It’s nice to be reminded of some of the “Getting Things Done” principles, especially since I juggle teaching, writing, presenting and life. The ideas and some of the methods speak to me.
Here’s a great post about that elusive empty inbox:
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/11/15/five-simple-rules-for-keeping-an-empty-inbox/
Five simple rules for keeping the inbox clean:
If you don’t need to read it now, it shouldn’t be in your inbox.
If you’ve already responded to it, it shouldn’t be in your inbox.
If it comes from a known source (some person, retailer or mailing list that sends you mail more often than once every few months) it should be labeled automatically.
No one needs to look at their own inbox more than once an hour (and for many, once every 2-3 hours).
To borrow from the cult of GTD, re-factor constantly and mercilessly.
Also, I get a mountain of value from Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders for personal productivity tips, tricks and insights.