The Crap in my In Box

I hate my in box.

If I get on a phone call and don’t read email and the call in one hour long, when I get off, I have at least 50 emails.

If I got to status, and it drags on as it usually does for upwards of two hours, I come back to 75 emails (lower than average because my staff is at status with me and hence they are not replying all or emailing me at all).

Overnight, I average 110 – 140 emails EVERY night.

I hate my in box.

I swear I am on every email list out there. Top emailers who assault me daily:

1. Lands End — Is it really necessary to email 5 times per day. I like your stuff. I will buy bathing suits for my children, but please, please stop emailing me.

2. MediaBistro — I signedup for one newsletter, I get on average 4-6 emails a day. I’ve tried to unsubscribe, but they keep coming.

3. PRSA – I have an entire rule dedicated to emails from the PRSA, I received 76 emails in February and that was a short month.

4. Newsletters. I dont’ know what happened here but I get every newsletter under the sun. My unread newsletters folder stands at 398 since February 2nd, and this doesn’t include the ones I read or that don’t have a rule attached. These include: CEPro, CEA Smartbrief, Dealerscope, min, HARO and  Chris Brogan (this alone adds another 6 per day)! I just can’t keep up.

5. Twitters. Qwitters. Tweeple Groups. Tweetworks. Lots and lots…398 unread at last count.

6. Narragansett Elementary – yes, my daughters school is email crazy. I can get 3-5 emails per day. Volunteer for this. PTO meeting. Soccer sign up. Book fundraiser. Blanket Bidding, Pizza pig out. How about 1 per week and summarizing?

7. AMEX – Yes, I know my bill is due.  I knew it 14 days ago, 12 days ago, 10 days ago, 5 days ago, and I still know it. I get it, you want me to pay my bill.

8. Ashley – Yes, you hold the record (aside from Joe) as most emails in my in box.

9. Don’t laugh too hard Lauren your second.

10. LinkedInUpdates – why can’t they just send them to my LinkedIn account. Maybe I don’t want to be so linked.

Just keeping my inbox workable, organized and clutter free takes me at least an hour a day. And I’ve lost control of it. My emails total more than 500 per day, that’s not including my spam which gets filtered. I’ve tried assigning by topics, by person, by client, by attachments, by importance. I’ve tried not being on email and just checking it at certain times (HA!) and nothing works. Our connectivity is destroying my productivity and I am not alone.

Excellent, only 2 days left for kids bathing suits. Lands End say I should act now.

Yes, I’m turning my OOF on and going to bed.

posted by KDL | follow me on Twitter : newscasterand check out my other blog at www.greenlifesmartlifeblog.comfor all our fun news around all things green including our green home building project!