Use the Yesterbox Method to Stay on Top of Your Inbox

Inbox management, like many other things, is a necessary evil in our daily lives. So, the best way to deal with this is by using a strict system. Like many things, finding the right system is time-consuming and adds a new level of stress to an already annoying task. Here’s a system that’s simple, doesn’t take long to get started, and can really help you get through your unread books without overwhelming you. This is called “yesterday’s box”.

What is Yahoo Inbox Management System?

The technique—and its funny name—was invented by the late Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who described Yahoo as a way to “eliminate email guilt.” The idea is simple: today you only deal with yesterday’s emails.

Xie explained that “inbox zero” is not only an unattainable goal, but also practically impossible to achieve; once you start answering emails, the answers will come. By its nature, email is a form of correspondence, which means you send and receive messages, and to be effective, it must be ongoing.

However, the fact is that you don’t know how many emails you will receive today. The only true, finite number you can count on is the number of emails you received yesterday , so you’ll want to focus on that if you want to avoid getting bogged down in constant non-stop communication.

How to use YESTERBOX

Start by setting a time to work on your email every day. Ideally this should be in the morning so that nothing too urgent from yesterday slips through the cracks. Try using a time frame to plan your day, and set aside a specific time—half an hour or so, depending on the volume of practice emails you typically receive and how much of your work is actually done through them—to manage email every morning. Xie was a proponent of devoting three hours to this task, but he was the CEO of a giant company, so be realistic about how much time you’ll actually need.

Use this time only to review and respond to emails you received the day before. Then filter out emails from the previous day that will require more effort on your part, whether it’s a long reply or an attachment. You can flag them or move them into a folder, but first focus on the ones that require simple answers or no answer at all. Review each of them before returning to those that require serious effort. Once this is done, don’t look again until the next morning.

This creates a limited to-do list that cannot last all day. By systematically reviewing each day’s previous emails, you won’t miss a single one. The only real exception to this rule should be urgent daily emails about tasks that are currently being completed. If you’re expecting something like this, add the sender to your priority list to make sure you receive notifications, and if possible, ask them to make the subject line something easily recognizable. Resist the urge to skim emails related to anything other than urgent and pressing issues.