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The previous post in this series "Inbox Zero (Myth vs. Reality) #2 - Everybody needs Inbox Zero", showed that because of the unique ways in which we interact with our email, Inbox Zero is clearly not everybody's cup of tea. This post takes on the next big myth that no other tool or technique can achieve what Inbox Zero can.

Myth #3 - It is the only way to email productivity

If you have been trying to tame your mailbox and optimize the time that you spend with your email, no one can blame you. According to the 2013 - 2017 Email Statistics Report by the Radicati Group, email takes up over a quarter of your working day, without apology. It is therefore understandable that email users try to manage their time better by using popular email productivity techniques such as Inbox Zero to get a handle on their inboxes.

However, know this: Inbox Zero is not the Holy Grail of email productivity. As discussed in our previous post in this series, it works for only a small niche of users who have (ironically) the time and the patience to implement it.

Let's take a closer look at the dreaded inbox instead. The inbox is meant to be a stop along the way to your final destination. It's where you put your stuff until you're ready to deal with it. So what would happen if you skipped the inbox altogether in the interest of implementing Inbox Zero (which itself is an oxymoron since Inbox Zero doesn't really mean emptying your inbox)? Your messages would simply be pushed directly to designated folders where you will be forced to take action on all these messages, immediately - a disaster for those trying to reduce the time they spend on their email. The inbox is actually a catch-all that allows one to take a step back and give each item some thought before deciding if it is worthy of your attention. Eliminating the inbox altogether will simply force you to spend valuable time acting on all messages, rather than only the ones that matter.

So if the inbox is that indispensable, how do you deal with the flood of email that arrives in there every day? How do you pick, choose, sort and eliminate messages without being driven crazy? There is a simple solution - get a good search add in / plugin. This way, you don't have to spend time creating, organizing and maintaining folders and can also locate and deal with any email in your mailbox at any time, with lightning speed and the least amount of effort. A good add in like FewClix will even additionally help you organize your inbox in a way that works for you, instantly reach the most important emails even if they are buried in clutter and significantly optimize the time that you spend with your email, all in seconds and without having to create a single mail rule or folder.

If you are struggling with your inbox today, forget Inbox Zero and get the FREE FewClix Personal Edition instead. Email productivity is just one click away!