Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

a big fan of Williams-Sonoma. Every year, she puts something from them on her Christmas list. Every year, I stay on their list, thinking it would be helpful to know when something she might love goes on sale. However, she buys from there for herself the rest of the year, so I didn’t need to do that. Women’s clothing websites also fall into this category.</p><p id="e8aa">I also dumped any marketer who sent multiple emails a day, including Sharper Image and Best Buy. However, I did appreciate the marketers who allowed me to change how often I received emails from them.</p><p id="9f40">Things got a little more challenging when I started looking at emails for things I’d once found enjoyable. Was I still interested in them? Was the subject something I’d merely forgotten and would like to reconsider?</p><p id="7a71">I decided this was a dangerous way of thinking, so I unsubscribed if it was something I hadn’t explored in a year or more. Out of sight, out of mind.</p><p id="e136">Then there were people. I’m not talking about friends, family, and business associates; I’m talking about writers, photographers, and other artists. I was more inclined to keep these, except for the ones who had evidently gathered enough email subscribers to try to ‘monetize’ their list. Instead of helpful tips, every email was now an ad for their courses and services. I don’t mind links to those things at the end of your emails; I just don’t want them to be the focus every time.</p><h2 id="5a86">Now that it has been a few weeks, here are the things that have changed for me:</h2><p id="e998">For starters, I have far more time. I hadn’t reali

Options

zed I’d been spending over an hour every day dealing with useless email. Now, I only see what’s important. Everything is now relevant to where I’m at today.</p><p id="bcbb">My phone no longer dings all day long. It turns out I had too many email groups in my notifications.</p><p id="2f86">I no longer dread going through my email because I know it will take less effort and will contain only the items and subjects I’m currently interested in.</p><h2 id="7e82">How do I avoid falling back into this trap?</h2><p id="05b8">I’ve set a few rules. I will no longer join an email list unless I have visited a website more than once. I can’t stand it when a site immediately throws up an action screen for an email list with a discount offer. I haven’t even had a chance to look around and see if I would want to join. I know the time for that screen to show up can be adjusted. Please make it at least 30 seconds.</p><p id="964c">If I join an email list to get a discount for a gift, I need to be more ruthless and unsubscribe as soon as the gift arrives.</p><p id="06a7">Regarding creators, I may join your list if I’ve read or enjoyed multiple instances of your work, but if your first email is strictly a sales pitch, I will immediately unsubscribe. These emails come across as more of a ‘what can I do for you’ instead of a ‘what can you do for me.’</p><p id="8cea">Marketers are banking on the idea that you won’t bother unsubscribing once you sign up for a list. While that has been true for me in the past, I’m hoping I will no longer succumb because of the wasted time, effort, and irritation that comes with it.</p></article></body>

I Unsubscribed to Over 100 Email Lists

Here’s how it made my life better.

When the red dot began showing numbers in the thousands, I knew it was time to make a change.

I started dreading checking my email in the morning. Things had gotten out of hand, and it was purely my doing. Over time, I had signed up for hundreds of email lists using multiple email addresses.

How did I get into this mess?

Like many, I created several email addresses as a method of organization. I wanted to use each one for different subjects. For instance, one address would be for shopping and another for house-remodeling-related items. One address was for my voiceover work. One was for my writing. You get the picture.

Part of my problem was remembering which email address I was using for what. Because of this, each email address became a combination of everything. I had even signed up for lists multiple times because I couldn’t remember if I’d already subscribed and with which email address.

I set aside half a day to go through my email and unsubscribe to those I wasn’t reading.

At first, it was easy.

There were many emails where I was hitting delete every time without reading them. These included ones where I had joined a list to get a discount on gifts.

For example, my wife is a big fan of Williams-Sonoma. Every year, she puts something from them on her Christmas list. Every year, I stay on their list, thinking it would be helpful to know when something she might love goes on sale. However, she buys from there for herself the rest of the year, so I didn’t need to do that. Women’s clothing websites also fall into this category.

I also dumped any marketer who sent multiple emails a day, including Sharper Image and Best Buy. However, I did appreciate the marketers who allowed me to change how often I received emails from them.

Things got a little more challenging when I started looking at emails for things I’d once found enjoyable. Was I still interested in them? Was the subject something I’d merely forgotten and would like to reconsider?

I decided this was a dangerous way of thinking, so I unsubscribed if it was something I hadn’t explored in a year or more. Out of sight, out of mind.

Then there were people. I’m not talking about friends, family, and business associates; I’m talking about writers, photographers, and other artists. I was more inclined to keep these, except for the ones who had evidently gathered enough email subscribers to try to ‘monetize’ their list. Instead of helpful tips, every email was now an ad for their courses and services. I don’t mind links to those things at the end of your emails; I just don’t want them to be the focus every time.

Now that it has been a few weeks, here are the things that have changed for me:

For starters, I have far more time. I hadn’t realized I’d been spending over an hour every day dealing with useless email. Now, I only see what’s important. Everything is now relevant to where I’m at today.

My phone no longer dings all day long. It turns out I had too many email groups in my notifications.

I no longer dread going through my email because I know it will take less effort and will contain only the items and subjects I’m currently interested in.

How do I avoid falling back into this trap?

I’ve set a few rules. I will no longer join an email list unless I have visited a website more than once. I can’t stand it when a site immediately throws up an action screen for an email list with a discount offer. I haven’t even had a chance to look around and see if I would want to join. I know the time for that screen to show up can be adjusted. Please make it at least 30 seconds.

If I join an email list to get a discount for a gift, I need to be more ruthless and unsubscribe as soon as the gift arrives.

Regarding creators, I may join your list if I’ve read or enjoyed multiple instances of your work, but if your first email is strictly a sales pitch, I will immediately unsubscribe. These emails come across as more of a ‘what can I do for you’ instead of a ‘what can you do for me.’

Marketers are banking on the idea that you won’t bother unsubscribing once you sign up for a list. While that has been true for me in the past, I’m hoping I will no longer succumb because of the wasted time, effort, and irritation that comes with it.