The message list normally has columns to indicate whether a message has been read, whether it has attachments, how important it is, and the sender, date, and subject. You can change the column order, or add and remove columns by dragging and dropping them.
Right-click one of the column headers to get a list of options:
Sort Ascending: Sorts the messages top to bottom. Similarly, Sort Descending reverses the order, and Unsort removes sorting from this column, reverting to the order of messages as they were added to the folder.
Removing a Column: Remove this column from the display. You can also remove columns by dragging the header off the list and letting it drop.
Adding a Column: When you select this item, a dialog box appears, listing the possible columns. Drag the column you want into a space between existing column headers. A red arrow shows where the column will be placed.
Best Fit: Automatically adjusts the widths of the columns for the most efficient use of space.
Customizing the Current View: Choose this item to pick a more complex sort order for messages, or to choose which columns of information about your messages you want to display.
One way to make sure you don't forget about a message is with the Follow Up feature. To use the follow up feature:
Select one or more messages.
Right-click one of the messages.
Click Mark for Follow Up.
A dialog box opens to allow you to set the type of flag and the due date.
The flag itself is the action you want to remind yourself about. Several are provided for you, such as Call, Forward, and Reply, but you can enter your own note or action if you want. You can set a deadline for the flag as well.
After you have added a flag, you can mark it as complete or remove it entirely by right-clicking the message, then click either Flag Completed or Clear Flag.
When you read a flagged message, its flag status is displayed at the top, before the message headers. An overdue message might tell you "Overdue: Call by April 07, 2003, 5:00 PM."
Flags can help you organize your work in a number of ways. For example, you might add a Flag Status column to your message list and sort that way. Alternately, you could create a search folder that displays all your flagged messages, then clear the flags when you're done, so the search folder contains only messages with upcoming deadlines.
If you prefer a simpler way to remind yourself about messages, you can mark them as Important by right-clicking the message, then click Mark Important.