Declutter your Cluttered Inbox

Do you find that your e-mail inbox seems cluttered with old items? Are you using your inbox to archive older e-mails?

ClickZ has an interesting article about Inbox Feng Shui which can help declutter your inbox. I can personally attest to subscribing to any newsletter that seems even remotely interesting (why am I subscribed to the cats in hats newsletter…?) & will apply this advice to really help cut down on some unneeded newsletters.

Some other tips I’ve found that help me personally declutter my inbox:

- Set up folders for archiving. They can be as specific (Portland Winterhawk news) or general (Office Supplies) as you’d like. Just have the ability to move emails you want to keep somewhere other than your inbox.

- Instead of sifting through e-mail throughout the day, schedule a block of time (I usually take 15-30 mins. in the morning) to go through all of the e-mail in your inbox & archive / delete as necessary. That way you’ll only have new messages for that day arriving.

- If you’re not sure where to move an e-mail, create a folder that’s labeled “to be dealt with today” & move it there for the time being. Then at the end of your workday, take a couple of minutes & sift through those messages.

To conclude, treat your e-mail inbox like you would treat your cat’s litter box – give it extra attention in the mornings and evenings & make sure it’s cleaned out on a daily basis.