Steps to cleaning out my inbox Feb23 '07
An email inbox should not be a repository. Anything residing in the inbox is only in a temporary location. If your inbox has more than 10-15 items in it, it's time to clean it out.
Here are the steps I take to clean out my inbox.
First of all, if you use Gmail - a handy tool is "Archive." Just a click of the button "whisks away" your email to permanent, safe storage. Out of sight - out of mind. If you need to retrieve it - it's always just a quick search away.
However, Gmail may be great, but for heavy attachments, it may not be wise to Archive those, since they quickly eat away at your storage space limit.
Gmail used to claim: "Never delete again!" ... but let's be realistic - storage space is not infinite. At least, not yet anyway.
Here is my "order of escalation" for archiving email messages:
- Gmail "Archive."
- Google Notebook for smaller notes (this is also used as my To-Do list).
- Google Docs for larger notes and/or attachments (Word, Excel, HTML, and text files are currently supported).
- Box.net for attachments, pictures, etc - anything else that's not supported by Google Docs.
All services mentioned above are free (Box.net also offers a "paid" option, giving you more storage space). These options provide you with secure access to your important information anytime you're online.
A clean inbox is a productive inbox.
Categories: Email 
, Organization
Add Feedback (view all)
Leave feedback
is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from Chicago.
Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.
Similar Entries
- RTM and Gmail: tasks in your inbox (72 recent visits)
- Bliss is an empty inbox (2 recent visits)
Stats
2 unique visits since August 2008