I don’t have very many emails in my inbox. In Gmail I use labels to store emails I no longer need to do anything about, but I need to keep. I look at how to deal with my email in a few ways: delete, defer, file, reply. If I have to reply I keep it short and sweet. To the point. I try to think of myself as an email ninja, using my awesome powers to cut through all of the flotsam and jetsam that lands in my path. In layman’s terms: don’t waste your precious time reading every last Facebook or Linked in update. Skim and delete the noise from your inbox. If it’s a coupon and you need it that’s one thing, but if it’s the 100th email from a store that week, delete, delete delete.

When you do reply to an email stay on point. It’s not a letter. It’s supposed to be short, polite and answer the question, problem at hand.

Periodically, I go through my archived emails and throw out everything that is older than 6 months old. It can’t be that important and I’m not looking for it.

Hope this helps you get through your emails. Any other good suggestions?