When the week has piled up, it can be hard to get to a zeroinbox. The attention we have to place on what is urgent and demanding can absorb all of our energy and focus. As the weekend hits, we can slow down. There are far less demands. I like to use this time to get myself reset and move out everything that has piled up in my action folders. I can be ready for what is coming and enjoy my down time.
There is an ebb and flow to virtual knowledge work and riding those waves for the long term helps us to preserve our sanity. It’s a process, not an event. As you are experiencing down time, consider incorporating a zeroinbox process to ensure your mind is free from clutter. It helps you to get ahead and enjoy the moments you are in rather than having something loom over your mind.
If you find the habit hard to get started, a large motivation lies in getting ahead of the rest of the world. When you have an inbox with unaddressed items, then there are open loops which lack a decision on next steps. This creates stress, for our minds at terrible at forgetting things.
The best thing to do is to pay the brain bill and move your inbox items to a logical next step. It may be an action. It may be a decision. This is what your action lists and folders will do to help you keep from having to think about what is undone.
There is a relentless flow of information coming at us every day. Knowing how to make decisions and putting a little extra effort into the emptying process will make a world of difference.
If you haven’t checked out my new book on productivity in more detail, make it a weekend read and change your life forever.
