How to use Gmail more efficiently using stars and multiple inboxes

Andreas Klinger describes an interesting approach to managing your Gmail inbox using a combination of the principles of Inbox Zero and GTD.

Without using any plugins, messages can easily be marked as having different statuses using custom stars while still having a good overview from the main Gmail view. The basic premise:

• An easy to manage, usually empty inbox on the left
• All “todos” in the first box
• All emails “awaiting a reply” in the second
• All “delegated” emails in the third
• All emails related to meetings, flights, etc easy to find in the fourth
• All done with 0 plugins, using only standard gmail features

There is just one thing keeping me from adopting this technique – I rarely use the normal Gmail interface, instead relying on apps such as Mailbox and AirMail. Not being able to use the entire workflow regardless of device will just make me not use it at all.

A lifesaver for me has been the OmniFocus Mail Drop service together with OmniFocus for keeping track of todos and waiting fors, but that is a post on its own.