In some organization, a single person might received hundred of mails by day excluding spam. So mail inbox management is a major issue. I used to know inbox overload. But since I read Getting Things Done by David Allen, I keep my inbox clean.

To achieve this in outlook 2003, I use GTD of course, categories and search folders as explain below:

1. Create Categories corresponding to GTD naming:

• @NextAction
• @Reference
• @Someday
• @WaitingOn

2. Create Search Folder for each category defined above

This Microsoft web page show how to create Search folders step by step.

There are several kind of Search Folders. I use Search Folder based on categories:

Once created, the new search folders should be displayed as shown below:

3. The process

Now when I’m reviewing my Inbox, the first question that I ask myself is if I have something to do for the mail I’m checking. If yes I attached the category @NextAction to the mail (Right-Click -> Categories then check the @NextAction category) and I file the mail in a folder. I do the same if the other categories are involved. This process allow to quickly cleanup my inbox. And I know that the things I must do are in the @NextAction folder and the delegated activities are in the @WaitingOn folder.

Then periodically (every hour for instance), I review my @NextAction folder and my @WaitingOn folder.