How to prioritize email without losing track.

For each message, ask whether you need to decide, do something, wait for someone, or simply know the information. Do not treat a full inbox as one kind of task.

A clean action list can give a false sense of completion if some conversations have not been assessed. Keep a separate place for new or uncertain messages and revisit it regularly.

For a message needing work, write the next concrete step. If the work belongs to someone else, record when to check back. Reassess as replies arrive.