How to Stop Getting Hundreds of Emails a Day in Five Minutes or Less
I knew there was a problem when I didn’t check my email for a couple of days. It was taking just way too long. Outlook was open. The computer would respond, not respond, and then respond again.
My computer and I had been together for a long time, and I was afraid I was losing her.
It didn’t look good. Prognosis: a long deep freeze!
But then the most miraculous thing happened.
My computer started moving again. Outlook was picking up its heels, and then it happened.
187 new emails.
187!
In 2 stinking days! And it wasn’t SPAM either (that was a higher number).
My first inclination was to do what I always do…read through all my e-mail. But this time I wasn’t going to do it. I decided to de-clutter my inbox once and for all. I did one thing that took my e-mails down to under 10. And it took me all of five minutes to do it.
Here’s what I did:
I unsubscribed from all the e-newsletters, e-mail updates, and groups/forum updates by e-mail.
The result? I only get important emails. And my productivity has SKYROCKETED.
I can’t believe how much I spent reading a newsletter and then reading another one until I move onto a forum where I start reading posts that link to other posts and to other articles.
This process drained HOURS out of my day. And the information, though useful at times, was nothing earth-shattering.
Just today, since I unsubscribed myself from all these e-mail updates, have written 6 blog posts, edited a newsletter, reconfigured my business website, and finished keyword research I had put off for weeks.
I encourage all of you to try this. I say get off all e-mail lists.
If you just can’t do it, try this:
1. Make a separate folder for all the e-mail updates you get.
2. Keep track of the ones you read
3. If you haven’t read an issue in one week, delete the message and unsubscribe from the list.
Give it a go. Freeing up your time is the way to live a fuller existence. Possessing less e-mail is one way to do that.
