Inbox Zero Game

Welcome to Zero Inbox Game, a Google Apps Script project designed to gamify your email clean-up and help you achieve Inbox Zero with a smile. Turn mundane email management into a fun challenge where you earn points, level up, and reward yourself for your progress! For more insights on how this game was created, check out the Medium article.

Overview

This repository contains:

• zero_inbox.gs: The Google Apps Script code to automate the email tracking and scoring system.
• A template Google Spreadsheet to log your progress, display your scores, and visualize your inbox journey.

The system collects email statistics, calculates a daily score, and logs the data to a Google Spreadsheet to help you stay motivated and on top of your emails.

Getting Started

To get started, follow these steps:

Step 1: Copy the Spreadsheet Template

• Open the spreadsheet template.
• Click File > Make a copy to save your own version of the spreadsheet. This will be used to log your email stats and display your progress.
• Write down the ID of your copied spreadsheet. You will need it to configure the script later. The spreadsheet ID is the string of characters between /d/ and /edit in the URL of your copied spreadsheet.

Step 2: Set Up Google Apps Script

• Visit Google Apps Script.
• Create a new project by clicking on "+ New Project".
• Set a name for your project.
• Copy the code from zero_inbox.gs and paste it into the script editor.
• Save the script.

Step 3: Configure the Script

• From the script editor, go to Project Settings (the cogwheel icon).
• Under Script Properties, add a new property named SPREADSHEET_ID with the value of the spreadsheet ID you copied.

Step 4: Set Up Daily Trigger

• In the script editor, create a daily trigger to automate the process:
• Click on the clock icon on the toolbar (Triggers).
• Add a new trigger for the main function.
• Set it to run time-driven > Day timer > 12 PM to 1 PM.

How to Play?

• Daily Goal: The script will run every day at noon, collecting the number of emails you received, archived, and deleted.
• Scoring: The fewer emails left in your inbox, the higher your daily score! Keep archiving and deleting emails to level up and earn rewards.
• Levels & Rewards: Track your progress in the Google Spreadsheet. Earn points, advance through levels, and celebrate your wins with self-set rewards.

How It Works

• Email Data Collection: The script collects the number of emails received, archived, and deleted each day.
• Score Calculation: A score is calculated daily, rewarding you for keeping your inbox clear.
• Logging to Spreadsheet: Your daily stats are logged into the spreadsheet, allowing you to see your progress visually and stay motivated.