# Mary's Vice Grip Method For Backlog Slaying

**URL:** <https://forum.beeminder.com/t/marys-vice-grip-method-for-backlog-slaying/6471>\
**Category:** Akrasia\
**Created:** [March 19, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://forum.beeminder.com/t/marys-vice-grip-method-for-backlog-slaying/6471 "2020-03-19T22:10:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dreev](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.beeminder.com/dreev/32/4311_2.png) [@dreev](https://forum.beeminder.com/u/dreev)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://forum.beeminder.com/t/marys-vice-grip-method-for-backlog-slaying/6471/1 "2020-03-19T22:10:02Z")

</div>

I’ve been thinking and writing about approaches to backlog minding lately (eg, [Anki-fy Your Backlogs?](https://forum.beeminder.com/t/anki-fy-your-backlogs/6374)) and wanted to share an idea @mary mentioned to me…

In her case it’s for her email backlog and the idea is to pick two points in time – like last Christmas to last Tuesday – and filter her inbox to only show messages _before_ Christmas and _after_ Tuesday. I.e., everything except that particular date range. She bookmarks that search and treats it as her inbox – a manageable mix of ancient things and new things. When and only when that search is empty, she squeezes the date range a little tighter in both directions.

Example Search:

```auto
(-is:chat -is:snoozed (after:2020/03/17 OR before:2019/12/25) 
OR is:starred OR is:unread) AND in:inbox

```

I like how it incorporates [redqueening](https://blog.beeminder.com/redqueen/). Part of squeezing down the backlog is keeping up with the current inflow. It’s not strict isolation of the backlog but it achieves the important part of that: creating a backlog that isn’t being added to as new items arrive. The backlog is everything in the date range which is getting inexorably squeezed down until it’s gone.