Staying ahead of the email crush: Mission Impossible?
Some people are great at processing email as fast as it comes in. Others? Not so much. For proof, just take a look at this screenshot of a Gmail inbox with over 21,000 unread messages in it. You can wrestle your inbox into submission, but you'll need to get rid of the backlog first. And we mean, get rid of it. Before you nuke all your old mail, though, make sure you've grabbed the truly important stuff that you need. Most major email clients, both web- and software-based, have search functions that will help you weed out emails from your boss, love notes from your significant other, and anything else you want to make sure to keep.
If your web-based client doesn't offer a search feature, one solution is to set up a Gmail account, import all your old mail, then search to your heart's content. Use Gmail Loader to unstuff mailboxes that live in computer-based email apps like Outlook Express or Thunderbird. Importing all your old email into Gmail is also a nice way to have backup storage for a while until you're absolutely sure you don't need your old stuff anymore.
If offloading your email for sorting doesn't appeal, use your computer's built-in search, like Mac's Spotlight, or download the free Google Desktop for Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Once you've unearthed and moved important emails somewhere for safekeeping, now you need to let everyone know you're starting fresh. Email bankruptcy, as coined by Wired's Lawrence Lessig, is all about letting your overflowing inbox win the battle, but not the war. The premise is simple: collect the addresses of pretty much everyone you know and send out a mass message telling folks you've gotten so far behind the email bus that you'll never catch it, and your only recourse is to start over. Mossberg says to apologize profusely, request that anything really important be resent, then apologize again.
Though it's a radical step, it may be the only way for a truly swamped email junkie to start from scratch. Most people are likely to understand and be sympathetic to your plight but use this idea judiciously. Similar emails will probably not be as well received in the future.
Now, it's time to purge your inbox. Take a deep breath, and a shot of courage (or something stronger, if you like) and just do it. Once the lightheadedness passes, you'll feel better. Trust us.
There's one more thing you have to do before you can claim true victory over your email. Make plans to ensure it won't happen again. Every email client worth it's salt comes with some sort of routing feature. Outlook uses Folders, Mail.app has Mailboxes and Smart Mailboxes, and Gmail has Labels. Most apps will let you micro-manage your mail even further with tags and filters.
Whatever you decide to use, implement it right away and use it faithfully every time you process your mail. The right combination of mailboxes and filters will be unique to each user -- only you know what methods will work best for you. (If readers want us to, though, we'd be happy to drill down into some of the most popular email clients and show some different ways to set them up.)
We know the thought of blasting away an entire inbox full of email can be horrifying. But, face it, waking up every day to an inbox with 21,000 unread messages is no picnic either. Have you ever dealt with email overload? How did you handle it? Share your favorite tips in the comments -- and tell us how many unread messages you had, if you dare.
