Productivity, part 2: Email

Today's life-hacking topic: email. It can take over your life until unread email overtakes your inbox like the invasive and toxic air potato. (That's just a little reference to show that I live in Miami.)
I've never had a problem keeping track of my email. This made me realize that while I don't have an official email system, I do have unofficial rules. A friend recently asked me if I had email tips, and while I think he was hoping for a wonderful, free app like SelfControl, rules are all I have. Here they are:

(1) I've turned off all my email notifications. I don't have a job where I need to respond to email more than once an hour, and every email notification popping up on the phone or laptop disrupts my work. (This is hard -  I know it's addictive to check email)
(2) I filter. Emails from listservs, administrators, and other non-essential sources go to separate folders that I check a few times a month.
(3) I unsubscribe from every junk mail I can. I get very little mail that's not directly for me.
(4) Most importantly: I aim for a clean, empty inbox. In reality, I achieve this only a few times a week. But when I check email, I try to do it at a time when I have five minutes to spare. That means I can reply to easy emails immediately and delete/archive what doesn't need a reply. Emails that require more than a few minutes for a reply generally get added to my to-do list. Making the reply a real "task" explicitly acknowledges the time that it will take to answer.

If you want a more official "system" here are some other options for dealing with email:
The three folder system
Inbox Zero

Here's wishing you an empty inbox. (Or your chosen state of productivity bliss.)