Finding Focus in a Cluttered Inbox

Once my inbox is open, I hear my name from nearby, from over there, from around a corner. Each subject line is a shiny object. I’m subject to drift, to waste time and mental energy task-switching between a dozen unrelated items across different areas of my life.

What was I doing here again?

The solution, I think, is to clarify what I’m doing before I open my inbox - to know, going in, what I’m aiming to accomplish. Is it to address the handful of items that require urgent attention? Am I writing a longer, reflective message to a close friend? Or am I sifting through the mail, paying bills and ticking off small tasks?

Any of these answers can be good ones - but if I don’t have any answer, I’m less likely to get somewhere I actually want to go.