These days, for the sake of our planet, we want our take-out burgers in cardboard, not plastic. We carry our own bags to the grocery store. We write our notes on recycled paper and we dutifully carry our old computer monitor to the local electronics recycle-guy when it finally gives up the ghost. Then, we dump our fizzled writing instruments into the trash can where they finally end up choking the local land-fill with plastic parts destined to lie around forever.

Papermate, an old and respected name in writing systems, takes its responsibility to the future of our planet very seriously. These days, the company makes many of its products from bio-plastic parts which are completely biodegradable and will de-materialize within one year of introduction to the land-fill. Papermate also has an aggressive recycling message which accompanies its other instruments some of which are made from 70 to 100% recycled materials.

Next time you find yourself in the market for writing tools, consider following Papermate’s lead.

What recycled or recyclable products do you use in your home office and what motivates you to use them?

3 comments

Have you ever had one of those projects?

You know, one of those “I just have to push through this” kind of projects? Maybe it’s your quarterly taxes, or a holiday is coming and you just have to get the dining room table cleared, or your newsletter is way overdue. Maybe it’s that overwhelming stack of books I wrote about in the last newsletter. Something has reached the breaking point.

If you felt motivated about this project, that would be great. You could use that momentum to fuel yourself. But, unfortunately, the project I’m talking about is something you’ve been dreading. Something that’s tedious and loathsome. This project will take a lot of effort and you don’t feel like doing it. Can you feel it? Got something in mind?

The usual strategy is to push

I’m not a mom, but I know enough people who’ve given birth to know that there’s only one time in that whole process that it’s helpful to push — and that’s at the end. If pushing starts too soon it doesn’t just complicate matters, it also wastes precious energy needed later. That baby won’t join the world until it’s good and ready.

With a loathed project, a lot of people start pushing at the very beginning. Sometimes this works initially, but it leaves you exhausted long before you reach the finish line. In fact, one of my intrepid researching clients found a study that shows that exerting willpower actually lowers your blood sugar. So, pushing isn’t just emotionally and mentally draining, it affects your metabolism too.

Take tax prep, for example

As I write this, I’m vaguely aware that the quarterly tax for self-employed folks is due this week. I’ve been spending a lot of energy avoiding thinking about it and telling myself that I’ll get to it. Interestingly, I’m using up energy just to push away the project. When the time comes to do it, it would be a prime opportunity for me to push through and do a lot of inner damage.

In the past, I would have stayed up late, gotten overwhelmed, and berated myself for waiting so long. I would have pushed through with insufficient sleep, tearful outbursts, and days of recovery time. Now I have more effective strategies (which I’ll share with you in a moment), but this is one example of how pushing doesn’t really work.

Mean self-talk makes everything worse

The biggest problem with pushing is that when your energy for a project starts to flag and you become fatigued, you switch gears into a kind of self-loathing, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” talk. It’s an insidious inner dialog that includes nasty jabs at your own value. A few of mine include “What the hell is wrong with you?” and “You idiot! Why did you wait so long?” (and those are on a nice day). I suppose some people’s inner dialog is directed at the complexity of IRS forms and the agency in general, but my mean-talk is usually directed at me. You too?

Here’s the thing: the mean self-talk is intended to motivate us. No matter how miserable we feel about these inner exclamations, they’re misguided attempts to prod us into action when we’re tired. But now, instead of having a loathsome, tedious, dreaded project — you also feel like crap. Yuck.

Been there?

Alternatives to pushing through

Make space:

Back to the baby analogy for a moment – what’s the one thing everyone learns to do in preparation for birth? Breathing. When it comes to projects, you can do literal breathing to get calm. You can also give yourself breathing room by taking a short break, physically leaving the space you’re in, getting outside, taking a shower. You can do any number of things that will help you get out of the spin and feeling more grounded again.

Talk nicely:

How would you talk to your best friend if she were in the same spot as you, struggling with a project? Being the kind of person you are, you’d offer support and solace and commiseration. Chances are pretty good that you’d offer encouragement.

What would it be like to do that for yourself? One thing you can try is pausing to notice the steps you’ve already taken. Say them out loud or in your head. Say encouraging things. Try being your own best friend and supporting yourself when the chips are down.

Explore small steps forward:

One of the things that makes big projects harder is their complexity. So it can help to take a moment and jot down the next 3-6 steps in your project. Baby steps. For my taxes example, I first need to get a summary of the last 3 months’ earnings. Secondly, I can then divide that number by 33%. Thirdly, I can get out the checkbook and an envelope. When I write out these steps, I start feeling calmer. My brain engages. It begins to seem possible that I can complete this by Thursday.

Ask for help:

When you’re struggling and isolated, this sometimes compounds the difficulty of doing something big. It helps to share your struggles with someone you trust to be supportive. To participate in a class that focuses on your project, like decluttering your office. To find a buddy who struggles with the same project and work encouragingly side-by-side. Just because you got here alone doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.

In short, you’re worth it!

Applying these alternatives takes time, but it’s worth it because they can decrease the amount of stress you feel when working on a big project. Over time, you feel less dread and more confidence in doing things that seem hard. Best of all, bringing kindness to challenging projects leaves you with extra energy to spend on yourself, fun activities, and with those you love!

Feel free to share your experiences with hard projects!

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Do you have a Pottery-Barn-perfect office?

Yeah, me neither. But I suuuuure did want one.

To be 100% honest, I yearned for an office like that.

I sighed over the high-end woods and metals…pined for the sassy classy textiles tossed just-so on the lounging sofa…longed for the vast empty desk space to whistle while I worked…and whined for an upholstered wall with lots of inspiration and very few work reminders.

And I did all that sighing, pining, longing, and whining while slumped at an undersized, overwhelmed particleboard IKEA desk—in a small bedroom with barely enough room for rolling back my chair, forget an extra piece of furniture just for lying around and throwing blankets on.

If there was a square inch of empty space on my desk, I would’ve had to move the 8-inch stacks of paper and a rainbow snowbank of Post-Its to find it.

And if I wanted to find inspiration, my four blank beige walls with a few wilted postcards pinned to them were not the place to look.

This was my reality.

Reality? Check!

But the fantasy…oooooh, the fantasy!

I daydreamed of Pottery Barn’s pictured perfect spaces, full of bright windows and matching folders and furniture not made of dust and glue. In my sleeping dreams I walked among tall cabinets with tiny drawers full of treasures and sat at a gleaming empty desk.

And whether asleep or awake, I thought: “If I had an office like that, I would have a real business. And until I have that, I’m not a real business person. Because this mess of mine ain’t what a real business looks like.”

And then I found the first flaw.

I was flipping through yet another catalog and deep into the sighing, pining, and whining when I realized that none of the computer monitors had cords. Or the CPUs. Or the laptops either.

But then, what would be the point of cords when there were no outlets to plug them into?

Sometimes this was absurdly obvious, like the desk that was coyly positioned in the middle of a room. It was a shining steel-and-glass island floating in a sea of polished wood floor…

…that I’d have to abandon for the kitchen counter in four hours when the laptop battery died.

And good thing their office had those big windows for general lighting, because there were only two task lamps for the entire room. And, hey, how can someone pick the right folder when they’re the same color and alllll the way on the other side of the room?

It went downhill from there.

I’d finally seen those dream offices for what they were: Dreams. And someone else’s dreams, to boot.

Because my ideal office would need all kinds of lighting to shine me through the wee morning hours when I do my best work. And why have furniture to hold folders when I could organize my files digitally and get rid of paper altogether?

And it’d be pretty important to have cords to plug in and outlets to plug them into, wouldn’t ya think?

Sheesh…how was anyone supposed to get any real work done in there?

In the end….

As you’d guess, my real office looks nothing like those dreams. In fact, it looks like nothing…period.

I have a laptop, a portable wireless connection, a notepad, and a pouch of pens. And when I want to travel really light, I exchange the laptop for an iPad.

And that’s all.

No desk, no chair…no office.

Instead, my office is where I make it. Sometimes it’s in a noisy plaza across town and sometimes in a cafe downtown. Sometimes it’s a quiet corner of my local sandwich shop and sometimes it’s the soft sunny corner of my couch.

The world is my office.

I never pictured that. And those catalogs didn’t either.

So.

Please don’t compare and despair. The pictured perfect probably isn’t perfect for you! You’ll need more or less space, more or less light, more or less storage, more or less stuff.

Maybe you’ll discover you need a whole lot more. Maybe, like me, you’ll discover you need a whole lot less.

You’ll definitely need a way to plug stuff in

Don’t get me wrong, magazines and catalogs are great for ideas and inspiration, but only those. If you catch yourself sighing and longing and pining and whining, remember my opposite-of-office, chew on what would work best for you…

…and get real.

Crys Williams writes about ideas and tools for tiny online businesses over at Big Bright Bulb. Her office moves around, but you can always find her in the same place on Twitter: @bigbrightbulb.

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Back when I ran a staging business, I drove all over creation and hardly spent an hour at home. I’d have to remember to invoice them to get paid. I also only accepted checks from my clients. It was awkward and inefficient.

If I had this neat thingamajig back then? Wow.

It’s called SquareUp – a teeny credit card card reader that fits in your smart phone!

I don’t use this my self (no smart phone), but I’ve talked to a couple of people lately who do — and who can’t say enough good things about it. It’s great for business owners on the go.

The Square itself is free and the pricing to use it is about the same as PayPal. When you swipe cards with Square there is just one fee: 2.75% and when you enter the number manually, it’s 3.5% + 15¢ per manual entry transaction — and the money goes right to your bank account. No other fees or contracts.

Currently, the Square works on Apple iOS and Google Android devices. You just download the app and go! Pretty cool!

6 comments

I played two rounds of Monopoly® this weekend. I normally hate this game with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. I hate that it pits normally kind people against each other, transforming them into competitive jerks who wish ill on their friends. I hate that it brings out sneakiness and greed. It’s also one of the few games that, if you play well, goes on and on interminably. Sorry. Not interested.

However, we had an unopened National Parks version that intrigued me. It has lovely pictures of Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, many other places I’ve never been. The Chance cards were birds and animals. This was not the game I grew up with. And the game pieces? Adorable! I also discovered that there are several “fast game” options. So, I chose a hiking boot and a bicycle and played a round against myself.

Right away, I started rooting for Boot. Boot was a hard worker and Bicycle liked to coast through life. 30 minutes later, Boot had lost and Bicycle was barely ahead as the winner. In evaluating the first round, I noticed that Boot and Bicycle both purchased land and tents as soon as possible. They spent beyond their means of $200 per go-around. When disaster struck (like getting caught littering – a $200 fine), they were unprepared. Major tent repair caused Boot to lose.

As I reflected on the game later, I realized that these spending habits reflect my own relationship with money (not coincidentally). I started to wonder if I used some structure, some kind of rules to guide my spending, would the game last longer? Would I collect more national parks? Could I buy more tents?

I wasn’t looking to defile the national park system, I just started feeling curious. What could I learn about money systems from this game? On my second round the following day, I decided that Boot and Bicycle would be more discerning in their purchases. Collect properties you can afford, but nothing more than a quarter of your total cash. In addition, I set up a rule that they would reserve a $500 bill they weren’t allowed to spend, to create a cushion.

I started the game and immediately a trend showed up: Bicycle was luckier than Boot. Within the first half hour, Bicycle had won a fishing contest ($200), become a Junior Ranger ($60) and saved a rare bird species ($200). Boot had gone to jail twice (-$100) (I didn’t ask why), missed several opportunities to collect $200, and had to pay unexpected fees (-$300).

In a way, this variability is kind of like life. Sometimes things are lean. Sometimes you luck out. Having spare cash for the challenging times can tide you over. This time, neither side blew it. Despite the bad luck, Boot hung in there. I played for 2 hours with no sign of ending and I was actually enjoying myself.

No ending was foreseen, that is, until I walked away from the game for a snack. Our tuxedo cat, Pepper, lay down in the middle of the board and discovered that game pieces make fantastic toys. When I returned, my little domain was demolished. Game over. So, I counted up my cash. Boot: $1750, Bicycle: $2485. A win, but not a landslide. Interesting!

Despite everything I’ve said about Monopoly® before, this was a really fun experiment for improving my financial health. In my business this year, I’ve started thinking about creating spending and saving goals. I like the idea of creating some structures that encourage flow without increasing fear or scarcity.

• Create a cushion of cash that I simply don’t spend
• Save a larger portion of my income for taxes and unexpected expenses (like repairs)
• Continue to pay down debt aggressively, but not to the point where it affects cash flow for normal expenses
• Decide which tools would help me accurately see and understand my current financial position so I can make healthy decisions

I may never play another round of this game, but the lessons I learned were so useful, you could say I’m taking them to the bank! Running a business from my home office can be more effective if I have financial processes along with paper management, marketing, etc.

As a side note, some Monopoly affectionados have made a science of winning at Monopoly. I suspect there are some lessons that can apply to running a small business as well!

Have you learned about money structures or systems in fun ways? Feel free to share!

3 comments

I’m a corner-cutter.

Always have been. I’ve been cutting corners since the pink-dawned day in my childhood when I realized that the world wouldn’t ever value my imagination as much as productivity. Yet in my heart, there’s still a fanciful, wacky, tulle-skirted ballerina who need to be fed. Here’s my story of why cutting corners helps.

Corner-cutting is what I call the skill I’ve developed to do just enough to get by, but not poorly enough to arouse any suspicion. Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails miserably, painfully and publically. I sometimes wonder how much better things would be if I went whole hog and did everything at 100%. Could I pull it off? If you have ADD or know someone who does, you know that painful refrain, “If you would just apply yourself…” The very idea of going at 100% all the time sounds exhausting, but that doesn’t stop lots of people who try.

What corner-cutting looks like

In my early years, corner-cutting was something I did to get through uncomfortable, boring situations. At school, I’d wow my teachers with my vocabulary and my sense of humor, hoping that they’d care less about the homework I’d forgotten to complete (which worked with varying degrees of success). At home, I’d get my bedroom clean enough to pass the Mom Test, concealing lumps of clothing and detritus in drawers and under stuffed animals. A a child, the only thing I did at 100% was play.

As an adult, I’ve learned to cut corners on everything from timely bill paying, to meal preparation, to paid presentations. The older I’ve become, the more skilled I am at doing just enough to get by. I take out the garbage at the last minute before the truck rolls through. I only vacuum when company is coming (or when it’s annoying me).  I market my business when I have something to sell, and less frequently when I don’t. Admitting to this rouses all kinds of shame in me. It’s similar to the shame my clients feel when they work up the courage to show me photos of their home offices. 

The reason we do it

With so much on our plates, something has to give. The thing I choose to give away, to release is perfection. For most of us, there’s no enjoyment in that release, just shame swaddled in guilt to be hidden away. We forget that we’re surrounded by messages that perfection (perfect floors, home, kids, fashion) is the only viable option. So, choosing to abandon of the Perfection Dream isn’t something we’re encouraged to go public with.

Living in a culture where everything is buffed to a polished patina, where is there room for human-ness? Where is there permission to just be?

Another way of looking at it

When I step off the Perfection Train, when I admit that there is more in life than I will ever do — and so little of it done perfectly – corner cutting becomes a kind of renegade act of resistance. Choosing to let myself off the proverbial hook, to cut corners, is a radical act of self-kindness. When you lower your standards to healthy levels, it’s amazing what you can do — and do well. You are free from the oppressiveness of perfection, to act from enthusiasm instead of guilt and dread.

What’s more, going public with your humanness is a statement to others they can do the same, that it’s safe to be good enough. Can you imagine a world in which every member believed they were wonderful the way they are? You might resist this idea, fearing a lack of excellence or effort. But truly, when a person is celebrated as they are, that is the moment when transformation and innovation become possible.

What does this have to do with office organizing?

I know – sometimes I get really big picture on you, but there is a connection.

If you’re ashamed of how your space looks today… or you feel guilty that you’re not keeping up your business the way you think you should, this dumps a daily dose of feelings that thwart your efforts. Deciding for yourself what your standards are can make a world of difference in your workspace, work flow, profitability, and more. Think about it. When was the last time you didn’t feel stressed out? Wouldn’t you benefit from a release of pressure?

Cut some corners and find relief

Seriously, what is so great about a perfect 90* corner? I’m of the opinion that a rounded corner is more pleasing and easier to navigate. Cut some corners off the hard edges of life — here are three suggestions that can help you move forward:

1. Acknowledge that you’re human. Consider that being a human implies certain limits of energy, mental capacity, and productivity. There is only so much you can do in a day. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just true.

2. Give yourself permission to do something well enough. The next time you encounter something hard, give some thought to whether you can make it easier on yourself. Let completion be your goal, rather than perfection. Celebrate the small steps.

3. Find out what it is that you do at 100% when no one is watching. When I was a kid, it was play. As an adult, it’s singing and teaching and (dare I admit this?)  creating art. Make time in your life to do more of that thing, even if (especially if) you do it imperfectly. The world needs your humanness and imperfection. Truly, “the woods would be very silent if the only birds who sang were the ones who sang best.” ~ Henry Van Dyke

Much love,

Jennifer

8 comments

Helping get your heart in the right place and get your business moving forward.

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I don’t know about you, but the beginning of September always feels bittersweet to me.

On one hand, there’s resistance to losing the warm, sunny days of summer and all the freedom that entails. On the other, there’s excitement for the back-to-school energy and focus of autumn. On a deeper level, I can feel in my bones that September 1st is the beginning of a long, slow, but inevitable slide toward the end-of-year holidays.

Instead of launching headlong into fall, this year I’m trying something I’m calling “Indian Summer for the Spirit”. To capture some of the summer insights and growth, I’m reflecting on the following questions:

• What did I learn this summer that I want to keep?
• What do I want to release from this past season?
• What am I open to creating or experiencing this autumn?

Instead of resisting the coming season and hanging on longingly for the passing one, these questions allows me to both prolong what I love about summer, create closure, and welcome the new.

Does this relate to organizing somehow?

You bet. Anything you create in your mind also has physical manifestations (papers, semi-finished projects, etc.). So on a practical level, getting clear about what you want to release means you can let go of some physical stuff along with it. For example, I have had several sticky notes on my computer about topics I want to write about. Well, I’ve written about them. So now I can let them go.

On an energetic level, when you’re clearing out the unwanted, this opens up all kinds of possibilities to you and your business. Closure is a healthy activity. Saying “no” to the things you no longer need helps you become a channel for the divine spark of inspiration and creativity.

Welcoming the new

The second thing that helps remind you of the changing season and welcome the new is to physically change something about your workspace.

Maybe you want to draw or collage images of the good things you’re anticipating for fall and hang it near your monitor. Maybe you position the desk so you have better access to the window and the remaining sunlight. Perhaps you’d like to change the background on your computer with a beautiful image which reflects the season.

What would inspire you? Is there a way that you want to adjust your space in the next few weeks to welcome the new season?

When it comes down to it…

Having an inspired workspace isn’t necessarily about having zero clutter and perfect order. In fact, that can be rather uninspiring. Instead, think about what would make you feel more comfortable, more invited, and more excited to do what you love.

What would bring to your space some of summer’s sweetness and autumn’s focus?

Care to comment?

I did it! The first of my 3 credit card statement came in the mail yesterday with a $0 balance! WOOHOO!! (happy dance)

I still have 2 cards to go, but I just had to share the success! I’ve been writing about my credit card debt for a while now and it’s thrilling to have this accomplishment under my belt.

Other things I’ve done lately to get the other 2 moving forward:

• Transferred a high APR balance to a lower APR card.
• Set a goal for how much I pay each month for all the cards and stick to it.
• Pay off more than my goal when possible.

I’ve also discovered an inspiring blog called Get Rich Slowly, which applies Slow Movement concepts to personal finance. The blog is full of common sense advice with a dose of humor and zen. If you’re struggling with debt and cash flow, I highly recommend it.

At this point, I have 2 years, 8 months left to go before I’m done with credit card debt for good. It’s slow progress, but boy does it feel good!

10 comments

…and what to do about it

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Abundance is here.

Do you have more stuff than you want — more paper, more books, more email, more commitments, more bills? If you’re trying to manifest abundance, stop! It’s already here! Most people I know have more to do in one week than a person could truly appreciate in a month or more.

This isn’t what we imagine abundance should look like. Personally, I imagined lying on a lounge chair on a warm beach, sipping something with a tiny umbrella in it. Ahhh.

But the abundance I have (and maybe you do too) is not the least bit relaxing. I never imagined that “abundance” would masquerade through my life as a cluttered stress-ball, but there it is.

Give me simplicity.

For many, the road from to simplicity is rocky. We like having things. We like being wanted. “I’m busy” makes us feel important. It can be hard to let go of the short-term payoffs, but this much intensity can create overwhelm in the long run.

Ask anyone whose desk is so full of paper and treasures that they can’t complete their taxes on time and are scrambling for an extension. Ask anyone who, literally, can’t find time to pee. It isn’t the kind of abundance they wanted, either, and it can suck the joy out of life.

The #1 sneaky lie that attracts overwhelm:

“I can fit it in.”

If you hear yourself say these words, freeze. This is your ego speaking.

The ego is a very specific kind of master: a task master. The ego doesn’t want simplicity, it craves complexity and drama. It wants you to be overextended.

If you want more simplicity in your life, you can beat the ego at its own game so you can act upon your deeper desires.

To do this, first it’s important to know how letting the ego rule your life and your calendar affects you.

“Fit it in” Consequence 1: Antagonizing loved ones and strangers.

The more we attempt to fit in, the greater the chances the fight-or-flight response getting triggered.

Stress from over-commitment brings out the worst in people. Instead of being present, we’re testy. Instead of accepting, irritable. Instead of forgiving, we guilt-trip. Sometimes we hold those feelings in, which hurts our own hearts as well.

“Fit it in” Consequence 2: Missed opportunities for connection

One night last week, Inspired Spouse came into my office to talk while I was finishing up “one last thing” that I “needed” to do. Truthfully, I heard only every 4th word and listened just enough to appease. Later, I realized that I’d missed a precious opportunity to meaningfully connect with my Most Important Person.

When we hurry, we miss opportunities to connect.

“Fit it in” Consequence 3: Engaging in risky behaviors

While we’re over-committed and feeling rushed, we hurry to catch up. Traffic laws become negotiable. We speed. We tailgate. We cut people off in traffic. Suddenly our urgency is at the expense of others’ needs, including our own safety.

“Fit it in” Consequence 4: Satisfaction denied

Cramming more to-dos into your day deprives you of the satisfaction of completing a job or task thoroughly. Many people don’t stop long enough to enjoy the feeling of completion, before rushing headlong into whatever is next. Life becomes an endless, depressing mound of stuff to do before we die.

“Fit it in” Consequence 5: Craving more. And more. Andmoreandmoreandmore.

It’s been proven that the faster a person eats, the greater the likelihood of overeating. The same could be said for internet usage, TV watching, gambling, reading, et cetera. When we rush to cram it all in, we immediately start to crave more because we never really have it in the first place. We’re not present enough.

Geneen Roth wisely said, “You can’t have enough of what you don’t really want.” She was speaking of food specifically — that no amount of Oreos can equal a relaxing soak in the tub. This applies to lots of other things, too. No amount of money can feel like love. 100 completed “to-dos” doesn’t feel like a talk with a good friend.

So what?

None of these observations is intended to convey that doing stuff is bad. On the contrary. Doing stuff is good, so long as it’s not done at the expense of your spirit and others who share the planet with you. I know that’s a tall order. I’m working on it myself.

Alternatives to “fitting it all in”.

Instead of cramming more into your day or onto your desk, here are a few suggestions to prevent “fitting more in”.

Know your limits

Reflect on how many hours of work will sustain you without creating burnout. Do you know how many social engagements can you handle each month and still enjoy yourself?

Think about how many activities you really want to drive your kids to every week. When you have some limits established, it can be easier to maintain a healthy schedule and work load.

Build in buffer time.

Instead of scheduling your plans and tasks back-to-back, plan for things to take longer. My weekly appointment is a 20-minute drive, but traffic is always sketchy. When I started giving myself 30 minutes for the drive, I stopped driving like a speed demon and arrived calmer. Where might you need some buffer time?

Practice pausing.

Whether someone is asking for your time, or you’ve got something to add to your plate, catch yourself in the moment (when you can) and ask:

• Do I have to fit this in?
• Do I want to?
• Do I need to do this?

You may choose the same way as before, but bringing consciousness to your choices makes you feel more empowered and less a victim of your “to-dos”.

Practice saying “no” kindly.

Most people think that if they’re asked, they should say yes.

If you know that your week is at capacity, saying yes can push us over the edge. Saying no doesn’t have to be negative. When someone asks to get together, focus on the intention behind the ask. Don’t assume that you are the only one who can handle it. Negotiate.

Stop to celebrate and acknowledge your efforts.

Instead of rushing to the next thing, it can be profoundly satisfying to stop long enough to appreciate your efforts and recognize your accomplishments. Sometimes I ask others to do the same for me when I have a hard time believing it myself. It’s something we do all the time for Office Spa Day.

In the end

The contented life isn’t about having more, it’s having less and appreciating how abundant that really is.

May your week be less packed and your life more full.

Warmly,
Jennifer

Thoughts? Yeah, buts? Me toos?

17 comments

Your bank sends them. Your doctor. Your clients. Random people you meet sign you up for their regular emails – and one stressed-out day you open your inbox and want to scream, “Argh! Where did all of this come from?!”

The goal: Unsubscribe from as many automatic emails as possible

Why we don’t do it

You just want to get through your email, right? I know I do! So when we receive unwanted email, reactively clicking “delete” does the trick — in the short run.

By contrast, unsubscribing takes an extra couple of steps. You usually have to scroll to the bottom of the email and click “unsubscribe”. Sometimes you have to go to a website and enter your email address or click a button. Some sites even ask you to tell them why you’re “leaving”.

So, one of the reasons why we don’t unsubscribe is that it takes extra time and thought. We’re busy.

The other reason we don’t: Relationships

I have a friend who receives all of her friends newsletters, probably 20 in total each month, and she “can’t” unsubscribe because she doesn’t want to hurt their feelings.

Can you relate? Maybe you had good intentions when you signed up, but now you never read them. Or you aren’t interested in the topic. Or you’re just not close anymore. Whatever the reason, every time you get one of those emails, you get a little dose of guilt along with it.

Take courage. If you take a moment to explain why you’re unsubscribing, chances are good that you won’t permanently damage the relationship. Something like, “Unsubscribing helps me create more simplicity in my life. I still value our connection.” As long as it’s honest, this keeps the door open.

Why it’s useful

Unsubbing is useful because it can drastically reduce the volume and sheer numbers of email you receive weekly. Imagine only receiving emails you want!

It also saves you a lot of time, not just from clearing your inbox, but also prevent you getting distracted by reading things that don’t interest you. You can be more focused when the items in your inbox are relevant to your work.

How to do it

Are you sold on the idea yet? If you are, the key is mindfulness.

Host an email mindfulness party. For the next week, every time you check your inbox, ask yourself these questions when you open an email:

• Do I want this?
• If no, where did it come from?
• Is there a way to prevent this in the future?
• Take that next step to prevent future emails — and unsubscribe.

Practice this for just a week and chances are good that your email load will become lighter. You’ll be able to focus on doing what you love and less time on what you don’t.

Thoughts on unsubscribing? Yeah, buts? Me toos?

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