New Year, New Inbox
Feeling behind as you prepare to start a new year? Archive everything and start over.
If you struggle with email woes, here’s a big thing that will help.
At the beginning of every year, archive all of your messages from the previous year. Remove them from your inbox or any folders that are easily visible to you.
Notice that I said archive, not delete. These messages can still be accessible if you need them, but the point is you’re starting over.
Many common email programs make this easy to do. You may be able to apply a single label or folder (“2024” for example) to all of the messages, and then move them out of your inbox and away from your attention.
This practice feels wonderfully refreshing and light.
I was behind on my email for more than two years (sadly, I’m not kidding) until I adopted this trick at the beginning of a recent year. Since then, I’ve been far more current… at least much of the time. I do still get behind, and that’s why I like to reset again every December 31st.
And that’s not all!
The power of this approach isn't limited to email. Consider other areas where a periodic reset might help:
Browser Tabs. Those tabs you've kept open for months "just in case"? Bookmark the truly important ones and close the rest. A clean browser feels like a clean mind.
Social Media Follows. Instead of endlessly accumulating accounts to follow, what if you started fresh? Keep your closest connections but unfollow everything else. “Re-follow” accounts mindfully as they become relevant again.
Project Files. Move last year's project files to an archive folder. Keep your active workspace focused on current work only.
Slack Channels. If your work uses Slack or similar systems, you know how quickly channels can become overwhelming. Start the year by leaving channels you rarely use, and mark others as "read." You can always rejoin if you need to.
Reading Lists. That growing list of articles you're definitely going to read "someday"? Archive it and start fresh. The truly important pieces will find their way back to you.
The key to making this practice work is understanding that:
You're not deleting anything permanently—just moving it out of immediate view
The goal isn't perfection, but a fresh start
It's okay if things pile up again; that's why we reset periodically
Think of it like clearing your desk. Sure, it will get messy again. But starting with a clean surface feels different than trying to organize a cluttered one.
When you remove the weight of past accumulation, you create space for something new. You might find yourself more responsive to new messages, more selective about what you keep, and more intentional about your digital habits.
The new year is a natural time for this reset, but you can do it anytime. Quarterly, monthly, or whenever things start feeling overwhelming.
The goal isn't to maintain perfect inbox zero forever. It's to give yourself permission to start fresh, again and again.
Thanks Chris. I’m looking to archiving a decade of unread emails circa 112k. I did delete 22k a couple of weeks back which felt very liberating.
Love this, Chris. I have been doing this every 6 months since back when I worked for Darren at ProBlogger! It's amazing how good it feels... like moving out of something cluttered and chaotic into a fresh new space!