#19 Inbox zero is a trap

If your goal is to get to inbox zero or get everything off your to-do list, you’re in a trap.

For years I’ve been obsessing with getting things done, shipping stuff, ticking the box, moving the card. Every new thing on my to-do list was a challenge but also a burden and almost obsessively I needed to get it done, as quickly as possible.

Imagine for a second, that you would get everything done. What would you do then? Getting everything done is an illusion. There will always be something left to do and lying to yourself that if you work more you will get it done is nothing but setting yourself up for failure.

More work than hours in a day became clear to me when I started working on products. There is always something to do. Unlike a project, a product is never finished. It can always be improved. And if you’re not careful, you’ll get stressed about it.

So instead, rather than trying to get everything done, try to make a little progress every day. And don’t forget to reassess your to-do list regularly because whatever was important yesterday might no longer be today.

PS. Just yesterday I’ve published a new article about how you could build a Me-experience in Microsoft Teams. It could help you stay organized and focused on what’s most important. Check it out here and I’m looking forward to hearing what you think about it.

Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash