My email inbox can be even a scary place for me sometime...Everything below the first 3 groups is within the last 12-13 hours or so. Let me explain the logic:
Top group is un-read email that is automatically sorted by a Gmail algorithm to be "important" IE, not junk mail. It calculates who I actually read mail from, who I'm most likely to reply to, and the time which it normally takes from when I read it to when I reply to it, and helps sort into this group automatically based on that.
Second are emails I've manually "tagged" as being important, or I want to be able to reference and find quickly. These might be work related things, 3WW Trikefest Fundraiser orders, something I need to attend to but can't right that moment (Might make a calendar event for it on my second monitor, ha), or whatever. Thats sorta my "tickler" file.
Third Group is currently pending real-estate prospects I'm keeping handy to follow up with in a few days or whenever some calendar event I scheduled for myself reminds me to.
Fourth group is all the "other" email that isn't necessarily junk but isn't really important that is yet to be read, and all the important email that has already been read and replied. By midnight this will probably total 80-100 total emails. Of which, about 30 or 40 I'll have replied to today, and written probably another 20 or so that are not already existing conversations.
I have a total of 5 email addresses the filter into this one account. Each piece of email that comes to 2 of those email addresses automatically has a custom label assigned to it, and is copied into a folder where I can access it when I need to.
I also have filters that label and do certain things with the email (Including, automatically forward to someone else) depending on the subject content, who sent, and what email address it was sent to.
I have hierarchy of labels, and sub labels for specific categories of email. I also have some email setup where when it comes in its automatically skips being displayed in the inbox and goes directly to a folder where I can look at it later one whenever I want if it, since if its skipping the inbox it isn't too important. The labels can be set manually as well (I use that plenty, too).
I also have email groups, in which once I setup my contact list I can email a bunch of people at one time. For example, all the sellers in the 3WW Shop are in a group that I just type "3WW Shop Sellers" in a new email and it automatically propagates everyones email addresses on that list I made to the to: field, which is super handy. I've got a few lists built like that for work purposes and it saves quite a bit of time.
There is also a label and folder that copies my entire cell-phone call log to a folder, and syncs with it twice a day. Accepted ones, missed ones, and calls I've placed. Very handy to be able to go back a few days (or weeks, if need be) and get a call # and date and time it came in. If the person is in my address book it lists their name as well, otherwise its just a #.
The same android app also backs up all your text messages to a folder, and makes each sender into a conversation where they are then searchable. This is a life saver too. Someone texts me a phone # or something months ago that I just dialed as soon as I got it but forgot to add to my contact list, or whatever, it'd be a nightmare to scroll through all the texts on my phone to find it. This is awesome for situations like that.
Not pictured: Approximately 350-400 spam emails per day that the filtering process does an excellent job of weeding out actual JUNK to make sure it doesn't get in there with stuff I do need to see and read.
And ALL of this is synced in real-time instantly with my Android cell phone, and iPad.
I try my best but sometimes stuff gets lost in the shuffle or it sits in my Important group for a day or two before I can get to you. Just thought I'd share what one of the daily necessities of my life looks like, figured some of you guys would either get a laugh out of it or be totally horrified...haha.
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Originally Posted by Billy Golightly
