Time to Unsubscribe?

In an effort to streamline the time I spend reading email, I've been casting a serious eye upon the various lists to which I'm subscribed. One such list, aimed at helping homemakers get organized, is notorious for sending out tons of email.

Yes, I have subscribed to the "digest" version of the list, but this morning as my "delete trigger finger" poised over this particular daily email, I stopped to ask myself, "When is the last time I actually read an email from this sender?"

Since I could not recall a single time in the last six months, I clicked into the email and quickly unsubscribed from the group. I know how to find that particular service again in the future if I am interested in re-signing up to be nagged about cleaning my sink each night before I go to bed.

I remain on some lists for the fact that even just seeing the email subject line is a good mental reminder. A case in point is my weekly Monday email from WeightWatchers.com. I'm a lifetime member, but don't frequently attend meetings, so that Monday email is a welcome reminder to start my week off on the right foot.

I also remain subscribed to some particularly heavy professional networking lists, for the value they provide in ideas and contacts. I don't always read each email, but I take time each day to scan the digest index.

Are you snowed in under virtual stacks of email? Some time spent prioritizing your inbox contents may prove to you that it's time to "unsubscribe" to a few outdated lists.