Monday, December 15, 2014

3 Tips to Purging Your Email and Your Mind



If you're anything like me, you're probably subscribed to a gazillion blogs and accumulate lots of articles. Now is a great time to clear out the old and make way for the new. My email needs serious editing, but how do I decide what to keep and what to delete forever? Here are some tips:

1.  Have I learned the lesson? Keeping 27 blog posts on social media might be overkill. If you've mastered Facebook, know how to navigate Goodreads, and tweet with the best of them, you can safely hit the delete key. Besides, all you need to do is plug the subject into a search engine to bring them back to life.

2.  Does this email require a response? If so, get it out of the way, so you can remove it from your to-do list.

3.  Is this information I'll need down the road? I do a number of guest posts and interviews throughout the year. They're scheduled way in advance, so I need to hang onto the emails with interview questions, guidelines, and contact names/addresses. These are keepers!

Another kind of computer needs some purging - our minds. A challenging year required changes in the way I do things and how I move forward. Funny, when I got those two words as my focus for the year, it never occurred to me they were preparation for a tough time. Some of the issues moved through like a brief rainstorm, while others lingered for months.

1.  Snowstorms and car issues. Record snowfall in 2014 meant parking difficulties, getting stuck, and greater wear and tear on my 14-year-old vehicle. With the 2015 winter season already making promises for a wild ride, I've made some decisions.

The car died, so when considering replacement I purchased an all-wheel drive model with an excellent reputation for reliability. It's also smaller, which might help with the parking situation. I can't stop the snow from falling, but I'm better prepared for it.

2.  Life messing up my plans. Sweetie Mom's broken hip threw my schedule out the window for a good four months. At times like this, I go into crisis mode and deal with each thing as it comes along. Our families take priority over our neat plans. By God's grace, we get through these times.

3.  Regrets. Did I handle everything right this year? No. I made my share of mistakes, but the Word tells us to repent from - not regret them. Regret wastes time and energy, while repentance wipes the slate clean.

Writers:  Do you have any writing issues that nag at you? What are you doing to resolve them?

Readers: Do you deal with computer clutter? How do you decide what to toss and what to keep?

Photo Credit:  sraburton

6 comments:

Linda O'Connell said...

Susan,
I spent an hour deleting old emails. It felt good to declutter. I did post a holiday blog, but other than that, I didn't go on computer all weekend. Everyone needs a rest.

Linda O'Connell said...

Susan,
I spent an hour deleting old emails. It felt good to declutter. I did post a holiday blog, but other than that, I didn't go on computer all weekend. Everyone needs a rest.

Karen Lange said...

Great tips, Susan! I've been thinking about this lately as I wade through all my emails. I have three accounts for different purposes, and I can get swamped in a big hurry. Putting this into practice! :)

Loree Huebner said...

Excellent tips, Susan. I am so bad with my email. I have started to "trash" some of it. I agree with the important ones - deal with them and get them out of your way.

Terri Tiffany said...

I have an unfinished WIP waiting for me to come up with the final ending and just write it! With the holiday and all I tend to get lazy,Hope you love your new car! It's pretty!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - emails and computer stuff always leaves me behind! Still I will do a big clear out shortly ...

Glad you've made the decision re the car - seems very sensible; your poor mother .. a broken hip at the best of times is not easy .. and I know about dropping everything and just getting on with the caring and helping ...

I just am looking forward to some down time and a big sort out ...

Have a peaceful build up to Christmas - with thoughts Hilary