How I’ve Made Email my Secret Weapon

• Use an email service with a great search tool so you can find archived messages with ease.
• Delete all those folders. If you use an email service with a great search function, you don't need many folders. Instead, create one big archive and use the search function.
• Get a to-do app. Many people use email as a to-do list, but then have to re-read the emails and reinterpret what they need to do.

Sales pitches are personal emails without unsubscribe links. But if you don't respond, you can often get more email from them.

Set up text replacements. For example:

noint = Not interested but thanks; please remove.

nove - I'm sorry; I have a bunch of initiatives and don't have time for a call right now. Maybe in a few months.

nocant = I'm sorry; I've already made commitments I'd have to break if I tried to make a call or meeting work right now.

These won't work everywhere but are a good starting point that can be edited.

Once you've got the flow of email reduced to messages that matter, it's time to clear the non-urgent out of your inbox.

• Reply if a very quick reply is possible, like Thanks or Great or On it.
• Reply with a macro if one of your pre-written replies works.
• Forward/Delegate emails that others can handle.
• Process later. The "to process" is the second folder.
• Archive or delete if no further action is needed.

Once this is done, only the deeply urgent things are left.

Actions you might take while processing:

• Unsubscribe or block.
• Reply where longer or more substantive replies are needed.
• Forward/delegate things that need more substantive thought and context.
• Task. Theses emails require action that can't get done in two or three minutes while processing.