I have a problem an issue something to say. I like my email Inbox to be empty. As in: zero emails sitting in it. Clean, white, pristine. Emp.ty.
Naturally, this rarely happens. Every time I check my email (and I can assure you that I do so billions of several times in any given day) at least one email pops up, usually more. And I love getting email. I’d much rather read and write emails than talk on the phone, and I maintain more than one friendship primarily via email, so seeing a friend’s name arrive in my Inbox makes my day.
But still, at the end of the day, I’d like to have the Inbox empty. I almost never make that happen. Some replies have to be pondered before they can be sent. Some emails have to sit in my Inbox until I can act on them (and I’ve tried sticking “deal with in 3 days”-type emails in other folders, but if it’s a truly important issue, I need to have it sitting right in front of me or risk forgetting all about it). And some days, I just run out of time and/or mental energy before I can deal with and respond to all the email.
But when I do, when I answer or handle every single email, when my Inbox says “0 items,” I love it.
So what does this say about me? (And “You’re weird” isn’t an option.) If I didn’t know me, I’d be tempted to say that I am obsessively neat and like to have my environment spotless and clean. But all you have to do is drop by my house unexpected to learn that this couldn’t be further from the truth. In real life, I feel no compulsion to have things — such as my bill-paying pile, my nightstand, my counter, my coffee table — empty and pristine. I mean, I don’t like piles and piles of stuff — that stresses me out too — but my laptop is usually on the coffee table, you can’t see my nightstand due to all the books, and the kitchen counter currently holds my planner, a half-eaten bit of Easter chocolate, a bottle of Children’s Motrin Cold, and some Purell Hand Sanitizer. And I’m fine with that.
So it’s just the virtual world where I like things to be all neat and clean.
Maybe that’s the connection though. My physical surroundings will never be spotless. With a husband, two kids, a cat, and, you know, life to live, I need access to things (like chocolate hand sanitizer). I enjoy having books around. I don’t want to have to dig out my planner every time I need to glance at it. Life goes on, and since I’ll never get everything done, I’ll never have everything put away. But in my little email Inbox, it’s actually possible to have everything put away, everything handled, everything dealt with. Maybe that’s why I like it. Who knows?
And now, what does it say about me that I’ve written an entire post about the fact that I like an empty Inbox? (Once again, “You’re weird” is not an acceptable answer.) Or better yet, how do you feel about your Inbox? Do you let emails accumulate, and just ignore the old ones? Do you deal with each one as it comes in? Do you have an elaborate email folder system for filing your emails? Or have you never really thought about it?
* This post was originally published on April 10, 2007.
I love the sweet chime that I hear when I get a new e-mail message. For some reason I can hear it all the way from my bedroom. Now why can’t my children hear me from there.
I am there with you on the empty inbox. The only emails that ever stay in there are ones I need to do something about (works in progress) or ones I am thinking on how I want to respond. I love having a clean inbox!
Is this the “I’m not as normal as I seem” showcase weekend? LOL.
Trust me — she’s normal.
I would be much less stressed if my email box was empty, but it never is.
I like my email box to be empty or almost empty. I do leave the really important ones that I do not necessarily need to do anything with right now in there so I don’t forget. I have two sitting in my email inbox right now. I do have a few folders but I try to keep them from getting too bulky too.
My goodness Katrina you’d die if you saw my inboxes. My personal one has 152 and my blog one has 786! Ok, I guess it’s time to PURGE!! You’ve inspired me!!!
1381. ’nuff said, right?! but that’s my work one and just for the month of August! i have (thanks to you) gotten in the habit of only keeping a week’s worth of email in my personal inbox and that works very well.
I like to keep my number to under 35. But it is hard since I my gmail account holds my business emails as well – but proud to say I only have 15 right now!
I keep almost every email, but I sort them out of my inbox. I used to like to keep my inbox clean, but I’ve fallen behind. I’m up to 700, and almost none of them require any action. You did inspire me to sort out 50 just now, and hopefully I’ll do that everyday until I’m back to just a handful.
Stumbled across your blog today..this is all new to me and I am having a blast. My inbox is a little full, maybe I should carry my “kids are back in school” fall cleaning over to my inbox. Great post!
My inbox has hundreds and hundreds of emails. I surrender!
Full inboxes don’t bother me until they get too full. Currently my work in-box hit 1900+ emails. That is too full. I have been busy trying to get rid of some or file them somewhere for future reference — it just takes so much time.
I think inboxes like to be read. That’s why they have progammed in that they ding when you get an email. I can’t resist running to the computer to check them.
You are definitely not alone!
I always say that if I have to scroll, I have too many messages. I don’t strive to be empty (it’ll never happen), but nothing satisfies me more to have as few e-mails as possible in my inbox.