I used to teach a time management course and the guideline there was to focus on whatever is important. So, my suggestions are along that line. # - first, I suggest revisiting the email accounts and identify which are important and MUST be kept, and which serve a lesser purpose. Developing a plan to eliminate some of the accounts is important because that will reduce the amount of email coming at you. If you do not do this, you will not achieve your goal. # - second, I suggest reviewing the email you have. What would happen if you lost or deleted that message? If the email is other than a receipt, an invoice, a contract, a promise, or a plan in progress, you can safely delete it. That should safely eliminate 95% of all email. # - third, I suggest reviewing the many folders. Often, we create folders to get “better organized”, yet all we achieve is clutter. (EXAMPLE: I used to organize a filing cabinet for household expenses, with separate folders for newspaper, gas and electric bill, water bill, lawn maintenance bill, etc. Later, I realized that having one folder for household expenses was simpler to manage. ) # - fourth, I suggest creating a firm protocol for message retention. This needs to be a process that removes messages regularly, even if it’s simply setting a retention date for automatic deletion. To summarize, I do not suggest more reorganizing, or more filters, or more folders, as increasing the structure will just make your world worse. Rethinking the purpose of the messages is the key. Good luck. Those are just my thoughts. Feel free to ignore. :)