1) An actionable task

OR

2) Information you need to be able to look up for reference, like login details for their hosting accounting.

Most of the stuff I get sent are tasks, with the odd bit of stuff I need to occasionally reference.

I’ve been using my smart folders in Mail to sort the email in my Archive by client, and I open the smart folder to remind me of my ‘to do list’. It’s not ideal, obviously, for the purpose of a To Do list.

I’m still trying to figure out how to best keep a proper To Do list, and I’ve been reading up on all the Mac software that is GTD-friendly.

I’m currently trying to keep my whole system in Mail using the approach at http://dennisbest.org/simple_leopard_gtd

There’s nothing that feels better than an empty inbox.

I couldn’t agree more; as the sign on my mom’s wall said, “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.” It has to be experienced to be understood.

It’s good to hear that you’re a fan of the just-one-folder approach, too; simplicity is beauty.

Carmel, I hear what you’re saying about how easy it is to keep things in your email program. And if you’re needing to go back and pull details out of previous emails to write new emails, having them accessible makes sense. I know, I used to do it that way a lot, too (and still do, but with the search function rather than the multiple-folder-save approach).

My point is that if your clients are sending you info that you need while developing their projects, then it makes sense to have that information in the same place/program that you’re doing your development work. Otherwise, it’s a back-and-forth between your email program and your development program (I’m not sure what kind of client work you’re doing, but it applies whether you’re doing design work or therapy or whatever).

Re: the “for consideration” idea – the way I do it is I go through the emails from top-to-bottom once, handling all the quick and easy stuff. If I have to consider it a bit, I go on to the next message. Then, when I get to the bottom, I go back up through any leftovers, and write responses/transfer/whatever. Once down and back up again, and I’ve handled it all, while giving myself just a little bit of leeway to let something sit for three minutes or so.

And booya for you on not looking back; that’s an excellent sign.

An example: I could spend hours each day copying details from customers’ emails to some other place. ‘Where they belong’ IS right there in my mail program’s folder system. I OFTEN have to go back and consult emails from clients and they are easy and fast to find right there in the mail program.

The same applies to personal correspondence … I’ve often needed to go back to consult emails sent to me for details/information. It would be a BIG nuisance to have to go outside the email program to find this.

What I really need is the discipline to throw out those things I KNOW I won’t consult once I’ve hidden them from sight.

I think, however, there’s something to be said for a ‘half-way house’ … a folder into which I put things ‘for consideration’. Going through email can take a long time if you have to make decisions about keeping or throwing away on the spot. That folder might be the equivalent of the trash, but it takes the angst out of it.

By the way, I NEVER leave stuff in the trash for more than a couple of days. Once I’ve thrown things out I don’t look back.

Great work with the new look. Smart choice.

There’s nothing that feels better than an empty inbox.

The best email tip must be to “Have one archive”. I ‘archive’ anything I need to keep for future reference into one folder, and I use smart folders to sort those emails by client. It makes it a snap to find anything I need for reference.