Inbox

The Inbox is your capture point—the first stop for anything that has your attention. In GTD, you don't try to organize while you capture. You just get it in. A thought, an email, a "I should really…" — it all lands here. Then you process it during a dedicated session.

Why inbox matters

Your brain is a terrible filing cabinet. It keeps surfacing the same items: "Don't forget to call Sarah." "What about that report?" That mental loop is exhausting.

The Inbox breaks the loop. When something pops up, you capture it. One place. No decisions yet. Your brain can let go because it knows the system has it. That's the "mind like water" idea—you're not holding everything in your head.

What goes in the inbox?

Anything that has your attention:

• Quick-add – Hit the + button, type it, done. No project, no status. Just capture.
• Email to inbox – Forward emails. Subject → title, body → note. Capture from your inbox without leaving it.
• Random thoughts – "Research vacation spots." "Ask Mike about the budget." In it goes.

Inbox items are unprocessed. They don't have a project, context, or next action yet. That's intentional. Capture first, process later.

Processing: from inbox to trusted system

Processing means turning each item into something useful:

1. What is it? – Sometimes it's not actionable. Trash it, file it as reference, or put it on "someday."
2. What's the next action? – If it's actionable, what's the very next physical step? "Call Sarah" not "Figure out Sarah situation."
3. Where does it live? – Project? Context (@computer, @phone)? Due date?

You can process one at a time (select a task, use the properties panel) or in batch with Classify—select multiple tasks, apply project/status/priority to all at once.

Inbox zero

Inbox zero doesn't mean everything is done. It means everything is processed—every item has a home. No more "what was that thing?" scrolling through a pile.

Aim to process daily or at least during your weekly review. The goal is a reliable habit: capture freely, process regularly, trust the system.

The capture → clarify → engage flow

1. Capture – Add to inbox throughout the day. Quick-add, email, whatever. No filtering.
2. Clarify – In a dedicated session (or zen Clarify mode), add details: priority, time estimate, context. Still no project? That's fine—Classify handles that.
3. Classify – Assign projects, status, due dates. Move items out of inbox.
4. Engage – Work from your next actions, not from the inbox.

The inbox is the intake. It's not where you work from. Process it, then work from your lists.