How to Empty an Over-flowing Email Inbox

To live in the stress-free world of an empty inbox, your first step is to deal with all the old emails. This is a one-time deal to get yourself completely current. 

Step One: Open your Inbox and create a new folder called Old Inbox. 

Step Two: Take all the emails older than 48 hours and drag them into this folder… the one you just created called Old Inbox. That will leave your present Inbox with no more than two days’ worth of emails. 

The “New” Old Inbox Folder and What to Do About It

Step Three: There are only two “logical” choices.  

Option A: The first is drastic but “religiously” purifying – delete the entire lot. Poof, they’re gone. 🤪

Yikes! You may be thinking, “Are you out of your mind?!!! I can’t possibly do that. There’s tons of valuable stuff in there!”

Perhaps, but if there is a lot of valuable stuff in there, then why haven’t you done anything with it?

Your logical answer might be, “I have. My Inbox happens to be my holding tank.” 

If that’s your answer, that’s perfectly fine… for now!

If you did choose the big delete, congrats, have a great day! 

If a Complete Delete is Out of the Question, Let’s Move to…

Option B: Don’t confuse this option as a halfway measure – it’s not. The end result is still an empty Inbox. Not down to a few dozen… empty!

You’ve made the 1-800 call, and the dumpster’s in the driveway, so it’s time to empty ALL the old emails from your newly created file, Old Inbox. 

Stay focused, and this won’t take too long. Remember, the goal isn’t to catch up on your To-Do list or read old FYIs, etc. The goal is to empty your Inbox. Everything will have a destination, with a heavy, heavy slant towards the big bin in the “driveway.”

The ABCs of purging (filing) your old emails: 

A — Be sure you’ve turned off all incoming distractions. You’re going to have to really focus on this one-time shot.

B — Go through all the personal files and make a decision about each one: either put it in your personal file or delete it. Focus all your attention on these files and nothing else. 

C — Find the spam that may be lingering (perhaps you wish to widen your definition of spam for this exercise) and delete all.

D — Sort all of the remaining emails by subject with the idea of looking for newsletters and FYI’s. If you can spot a bunch of newsletters and FYI’s bunched together, you’re on track. 

Delete the entire batch unless they’re very current and you really intend to read just the last issue. If so, file them in your Must-Read folder. If they’re over a month or two old, be serious… when? If you haven’t read them by now, it ain’t happening. 

Gather them up, bite down hard and hit delete. 

E — Re-sort the remaining emails by date, with the oldest message on top. With extreme prejudice towards the bin, ask yourself if you really need this email. Focus. Really focus. If you need it, file it. If not, then it’s bin-bound!

F — On the chance that the two-minute rule applies, initiate it… 

The Two-Minute Rule: If you have any quick matters that are still on this side of laughably overdue and can be dealt with in two minutes or less, do it now and then delete it. If an item might be a to-do, put it into a TO-DO folder.

G — When you come across a legitimate actionable item, file it in your projects folder or if it’s current put it into your TO-DO folder. 

H — Take the file titled Old Email and move it to the trash. At this point, it should be completely empty. All emails should have found a destination. That’s it!

Give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve earned it. You’re now the proud owner of a completely empty Inbox and, going forward, a manageable email system.