It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of messages you receive every day. Use your in-box like a to-do list, and treat each message as an action item. Once you've read a message, move it into a folder based on the project or client. A rational folder structure keeps your in-box manageable and puts vital information at your fingertips. Also, consider using software filters that look at incoming messages and sort them into different folders automatically.