#3 of 7 Reasons to Keep the Inbox Empty: Things are not Lost or Forgotten
It’s easy to forget important actions and tasks when they’re buried amongst so many other messages in your inbox. When you do finally get around to addressing them, it is usually under time pressure with a deadline looming (or already past). At best, important e-mails will require reminders; at worst, they will go undone (thereby negating any benefit of using e-mail for that action item).
Rely on your system instead of your memory
By contrast, when you use the 4D method to make a decision and take action on new e-mail, it is then moved out of the in-box to a more appropriate place, as follows;
DELETE (if not needed for future reference or as a business record)
DEAL with it (handle immediately if it will take 2 mins or less)
DELEGATE when next action needs to be done by someone else)
DECIDE (choose one of the following):
Where – file the email to an e-mail folder or add to current calendar item
When – convert email to a calendar item for later action
Wait – move to a waitlist folder (with a reminder)
Once one of these actions is taken, the e-mail and its contents now sit in the appropriate place until the appropriate time you need to address them again. As a result you can safely forget about them – they will return to you (at the appropriate time) instead of you having to remember and then search through the inbox to find them again!
This is a great way to rely upon your system rather than your memory to keep track of all the tasks and activities you have to keep up. Why not start using the 4D approach today and see what a difference it makes?
Click here to read #2 of 7 Reasons to Keep the Inbox Empty: Avoids Multiple Handling of E-mails