buzzbishop
on - last edited on
By archiving your email, you get it out of the way on your path to Inbox Zero enlightment, but you don't totally delete it. It's like taking it off your desk and then putting it in a junk drawer. A searchable junk drawer.
Google has given me more than 7 gigs of free email storage. I've used less than a 1/3 of it.
That little folder button takes the email out of your way, but keeps it accessible. That delete button vaporizes it.
We often keep email sitting in our inbox "just in case" we need it later. By archiving the email, you keep it accessible by search. You can look for something by subject, sender, or content.
Archiving your email keeps it handy, while keeping your inbox clean.
You can use it to find old contracts, or receipts (it is tax time) - even letters of inspiration.
My grandmother passed away in May of 2010, a few months after I moved away for a new job. I was having a tough time recently, so I looked through my archive to find some kind words from my grandmother. Years ago, I would have had to dig through a shoebox looking for a handwritten letter, this time it was all in my Gmail folder.
When it comes to keeping your computer clean, email should be the least of your worries. They are tiny bits and bytes that really don't take up a lot of hard drive space compared to the 15 mirror shots you took of your outfit before you went out.
Archive your email, never delete it. You just never know when you'll need some comforting words from your grandmother.
