Inbox Zero
I am a big fan of GTD and a couple years back when I was reading all that I could to try and figure out how to be more production I came across a few blog posts from Merlin Mann. While I have no desire to use 43 Folders, as my trusted system for GTD has to be completely digital, I did stumble upon his posts on Inbox Zero. Without a doubt the framework that he has laid out has been a game changer for me. I no longer repeatedly scan the same useless email every few hours because it just happens to be in my line of sight. Instead I tackle my inbox by replying if the response will be quick, defer it to my pending folder for later followup, delegate it to someone else, delete it or just archive it. Each day I ensure that I leave the office with an empty mail box and each day I make sure that I review my pending and waiting folders to process any mails that need attention. Working with this system has saved so much time and stress by allowing me to manage my inbox. I encourage others to take a look at Merlin's blog posts and videos to help try and streamline the way you handle mail each day.
For more information see http://inboxzero.com/