I want to talk about email for a couple of days.
I think we should develop a new holiday called “Email Amnesty Day.” On this day once a year, everyone is required to delete all email that has piled up in their box unless it has been explicitly saved.
Dirty little secret time. In a couple of my workshops I give tips on how to manage email and to work toward an inbox that is emptied daily. However, I DON’T DO THIS AT ALL. Despite efforts to eliminate emails, they pile up like Tetris blocks gradually filling up my mailbox until I simply archive a couple of months once I receive the regular “mailbox full” notice. I’m not saying these strategies can’t work, but they don’t work for me, or for anyone I’ve ever met.
If once a year your email simply disappeared, the stress about saving something that might be needed later would be answered for you. And think of the yearly joy one would feel to send the following message:
All of my emails were deleted for Email Amnesty Day. If you had something really important that I have not responded to, please resend. Merry Email Amnesty Day to all, and to all a good night!