Read - saved for reference at a specific point in time (think email with agenda for upcoming meeting) - this is not "haven't had the time" and it is not the more broad "reference" but specific to a point in time.

Skimmed and saved to be read fully at a more appropriate time. Similar to reference, I think of many long form emails and/or emails with attached articles as this, when they first arrive is not the appropriate time to think about them.

My habit with mail is to file everything, often messages that do not appear to have value individually as reference serve to provide context to a relationship or conversation later on in the future.

A habit I am also starting to get into which is related to this, is to extract from email important information at the time I deal with it - i.e. copy a person's newest signature with updated phone numbers into their entry in my addressbook. This puts the information into the most useful and relevant context.

I auto-filter most mailing list mail into seperate folders - these are usually in the David Allen's category of "for future reference, though they are unread not read"

I also keep folders for:

- each client/project + a broader "potential" client folder

- personal (family, friends) with subfolders for some specific people such as my girlfriend

- vendors - broadly, commercial emails I may wish to retain. I really should break this into "general commercial emails" and "specific updates on my accounts, such as emails from my phone company"

About once a month, sometimes more frequently, I clear through my inbox and file messages, deal with those I can and look over what remains to see where I stand on taking care of those.

Seems to be mostly effective, though his points are good and I'll keep them in mind.

Shannon

Shannon's habit of extracting pertinent information at the time of reading is key. The suggestion is that once you have done that, the message should be filed in the appropriate place. Put it in the client folder, add it to a "this needs to be pondered" folder, delete it. But get it out of your inbox. And, as noted initially, there has to be a process around reading those things in your "to be pondered" folder.

The thing I didn't mention above, but which is such a critical part of good mailbox management, is the idea that you should read and process mail one time. Leaving it in your primary mailbox is an invitation to open it again, and again, and again before ever processing it fully. If you have an upcoming meeting associated with that mail, create a new folder for "Upcoming Meetings" or add the message to the Appointment itself.

Regarding Shannon's new categories, I would fit them into categories 3 or 4 above:
"Read - saved for reference at a specific point in time" is a combination of 3 and 4 above. Inbox gurus suggest that mail to be used for later meetings or later discussion should be filed into an appropriate folder.

"Skimmed and saved for later full reading" is essentially a reminder to read it fully (3 or 4 again). I've seen suggestions of dropping these into an "Awaiting Action" or "Read more fully" folder.

Knowledge Jolt with Jack: Six Types of eMail Six Types of eMail The latest David Allen Productivity Principles newsletter contains a Coach's Corner on Keeping Your Inbox Real by Julie Daniel. In this note, Daniel talks about the six types [Read More]