Someone once asked me – how do you find an email that you are looking for? My reply “use the search option.” What this means that, it doesn’t really matter how I categorise or store my emails, the way I find them will be the same – search for what I’m looking for. When I get an email, there is too much to decide whether to put it in this folder or another. Doubtless when I come to look for an email about a paper from a friend (I could file it from the sender, the subject, journal club…..)
Why not make it easier for yourself – collate them by date. There is no thinking involved. Choose your date range; I use quarters eg Q1 Jan-Mar 2020 and just move them when you get them. Leave the important ones in there. Do it everyday that you check your email. Easy peasy. Then there’s no remembering where you filed it or thinking where you could file it, so you don’t do it.
I also have a folder for non-urgent to do stuff, just to make sure that they get done at some point but don’t clog up my inbox.
And almost 1 month on from starting I still do it!
Update: Although I got a bit lax for 6 months, it’s still the system I use!
mydandelionmind.wordpress.com 
I have to use the search mostly when I can’t remember where I filed them!
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