You Can Achieve Inbox Zen. Take a Deep Breath....

Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Be still and feel the air around you. There is nothing standing between you and greatness. 

Except your inbox. (Insert racing heart, slight eye twitch, shallow breathing) 

Ok, come on back. If the ease and clarity of the deep breathing feels like where your day should start, let’s talk Inbox Zen. 
 
When that notification ‘ping’ hits, we jump into action. We are in manual triage mode. No rules, no automation. It’s the wild west inside that inbox. 

Messages pile up and priorities *poof* disappear. Your attention is pulled in a million directions, none of which get you to the goal: a productive, efficient workday. 

So how do we achieve the pinnacle? How do we take the spiritual journey toward Inbox Zen?  

Here are 3 practical steps that work for us: 

1. Create rules for recurring senders (e.g., newsletters → folder). We all have them, we can all create rules for them. A rule lets them bypass your inbox and wait for you to give them attention.  

2. Use categories and flags for quick visual sorting. Need to follow up on items, use a flag to indicate URGENCY. Want to visually indicate IMPORTANCE, use a category. That will stop the scrolling through your inbox to find what to work on next.

3. Automate follow-ups with Quick Steps or Power Automate. Automate what you can, when you can. That’s what it is there for. Go forth and automate your repetitive tasks.
 
If Inbox Zen feels out of reach, have faith. With a few tweaks, intention and yes, deep breathing, you can get there. 

Remember, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Open your mind to Inbox Zen and it can be yours. 

And if you want more information on how we help teams cut through the chaos and organize their workday, message me or email us at support@excelandflourish.com.  

Peace.