Slack: All Unreads + All Threads(I count these as one)
For these, I apply the 2-minute rule.
If it takes less than two minutes to read and optionally reply, then do it now.
If it takes more than two minutes, I typically try to respond that I’ll follow-up later, and then it goes into the Needs Action list.
In Gmail, I use filters to ensure only useful, important, or actionable emails get to the inbox.
In Slack, obviously muting channels unless mentioned is key to keeping the volume down.
The Goal: Zero Inbox by the end of the day or week. Some days you’ll fail, some weeks you’ll fail. Don’t bother trying to be in a constant state of Zero Inbox - instead try to whittle it down slowly or batch time to deal with it. Important thing is not to give up.
Size: This rarely gets over 50 emails in Gmail or 50 unreads in Slack before I get anxious.
2. Needs Action
This is my active To Do list. It’s the prioritized list of what I need to do next. These are immediately actionable tasks and I try to keep them relatively small(under an hour), but I’m not religious about sizing them.
But I am careful not to put large epic/project level items in this list. If it’s a project, it goes into the Projects list and I create an item on the Needs Action list that is just the first task in that Project. Sometimes that is as simple as,“Start XYZ Project”.
The Lists
1. Inboxes
2. Needs Action