There are two things that really make me cringe. One is a messy closet and the other is a disorganized Inbox. Since I rely heavily on e-mail and use it as my main form of communication with co-workers, friends, and family, you can imagine how out of control my inbox gets. And as much as I try to keep things organized, it is usually a mess within a few days. Then one of our Lockergnome readers pointed me to a great add-in for Microsoft Outlook. Needless to say, I’m now hooked and far more organized. ClearContext Inbox Manager for Microsoft Outlook is now my new best friend.

In previous articles, I’ve talked about different ways in which you can use the tools included with Outlook to organize your e-mails. However, ClearContext Inbox Manager for Microsoft Outlook, an add-in for Outlook, automates many of the concepts I have previously discussed. It will automatically organize and color code my messages within my inbox based on various factors including sender, directness of the address, message priority, and so on.

Installing ClearContext is a very simple process. Once the add-in has been installed on your computer, it will analyze your contacts and existing e-mails to determine which ones are important and which ones are considered less important. When you open your inbox, the e-mails from the most important senders will be listed on top so there is less chance of them being overlooked. Your less urgent e-mails - such as those from less important senders - are placed further down in the inbox. And of course, your junk will be placed at the bottom. ClearContext does all of this for you automatically. The software is also very simple to use and requires no training at all. You can become fluent with the add-in within a few short minutes. You can find out more about this fine Outlook add-in at its official Web site.

Now I’m still waiting on the ClearCloset Manager.