Clutter and Productivity: Decluttering Email

This one is tough to do. It is so easy to file things in email and completely forget about them until your mailbox gets so large that you can’t do anything!

I use Eudora at home and Outlook at work, but the same concepts apply to both.

Folders

Reference Folders

I have reference folders set up in both instances. The top folder is called Reference, and underneath I have folders for the letters. (At home I combine letters, A-C; at work, each letter has its own folder).

When I need to file something, it goes in the appropriate letter where I would look for it again. If there are multiple places I might look, I file it in all folders.

Project Folders

For each of my current projects, I have a folder. All emails pertaining to that project get placed in there.

Working folders

These are the folders that correspond to David Allen’s contexts. I have an @Action, @Print, @File, @Waiting For and @Someday.

Processing

Inbox

I keep my inbox clean, as David Allen instructs. As I go through my mail, I file it in the appropriate working folder, reference, or throw it out. Please note that I only tackle my email box at work twice a day: 10 am and 1 pm. At home I tackle it once per evening.

Going through the Working Folders

When I am set to work on my email, I go through the working folders. @Action may need to have another project folder created. @Print and @File are self-explanatory.

@Someday and @Waiting for get reviewed weekly and acted upon then.

Cleaning Up Reference and Project Folders

I find it essential to keep on top of my email folders. I review the reference folders once every three months or so, purging them as I do my paper files.

Project folders get purged when the project is closed. I delete out email chains, leaving only one copy of each message.

Summary

I hope you have found these simple decluttering instructions helpful.

How do you declutter your workspace?