Let‘s do the math:

1. Let‘s do the math: 14 working days of non-value activity per year. More than one day per month is lost. Double-click the calculation to make your own.

2. Let‘s apply the LeanMail method Same list, but looking just at next actions Since reading and analyzing is a necessary step in any email management method, the only extra investment for using the LeanMail method is the formulation and physical typing of the Next Action statement; about 4 - 8 seconds per mail. 6s X 20 mails = 2 min. investment How much does your ”2-minute per 20 mails” investment pay off? How long would it take to scan a Next Action list similar to the one on the right in order to remind yourself of what to do? Since these are not your mails there is some ”code” to work out, but you can imagine that it would not take more than 40 seconds or so (try it). That gives us a 2-second per mail Re-read/Re-analyze rate – as oposed to a 20-seconds per mail rate using your old method of clicking on each mail and re-reading and re-analyzing. In other words a savings of 1,000 percent. The non-value added time factor is thus reduced: down from nearly three weeks (14 work days) to about two working days per year. Even if our calculation was off by 500%, it would still make sense to follow the LeanMail method. *Keep in mind that groups of mails (i.e. mails for RS to the right) probably don’t have to be reviewed each time since they are usually grouped in order to be discussed at a meeting or to processed in one go.

3. Still not convinced? Now lets talk about a few of the other benefits: Instantly find with one click or less: your most important mails the most important mails you need to do today the most urgent mails a group of mails that you need to discuss in an upcoming meeting agroup of mails you need to speak to a particular person about exactly what you need to do about each of the mails in your inbox and with whom you need to speak and when? which mails are awaiting a response from someone else? which mails are awaiting a response from you? which mails you need to read when you have the time (no action required)? Have the ability to: easily keep track of what needs to be done on every mail in the inbox at a glance experience much less stress due to email find mails much easier and file them much quicker feel in complete command and control of the inbox have a perfectly organized inbox one hour after returning from vacation able to see a white screen at the end of the day, giving a feeling of success – EVERY DAY.