Today, after really long, I looked at my personal email account and really, really cleaned it up; as opposed to scanning for urgent and ignoring all else, because my work email keeps me so caught up. And I realised a lot of things:

1. We hoard a lotta junk!!! It’s easier to ignore than to take that vicious decision to delete, somehow?

2. Subscribing lists find us (because ignorant friends and family let random apps access their entire contact list to send out emails to) and keep spamming.

3. Sometimes, an important email from a friend lies unreplied (im guilty of replying to one after 8 months) because it got lost in the maze of the junk and useless. And that just feels wrong.

4. The art of emailing a friend who lives far away: when at work, I find it impossible to take time out to shoot out thoughful emails, or a hello to friends I haven’t spoken to in ages. But when in my personal domain, I find myself reviving the spirit of long-distance friendship. You realise work emails are just cluttering up your life and keeping you removed from quality relationships.

5. I feel as relieved and ‘cleansed’ chucking out junk from my Inbox, as I do clearing my workstation or home. It’s funny, the places we hang out – whether they are physical or virtual, always end up collecting stuff – and purging it feels like a revelation.

6. I don’t feel like I’ve done anything productive all afternoon except keep on doggedly after my 4000-email inbox, but, hey, even if it’s not writing an article or making a difference to the world – my email a/c and I feel SO much lighter! Hallelujia!

7. Moral of the story – delete/ archive. Preferably Delete (tho I achived way more than I should have – that stupid tool that hides the junk from you). Even if it means thinking you’ve lost something vital or have wronged the person who’s sent that email to you!! And oh yes, UNSUBSCRIBE to like a million junk lists! Wish they had that for mobile phones.

Clearing out my Inbox, clearing out my desk at work and soon clearing out my home…hope that leads me to a fresh clutter-free start in 2011!