FindingMe

Organizational Tip of the Week: Unsubscribe

Email Check - DILO4,
originally uploaded by gwENvision.

I never realized how much email I get until my husband's computer got hit by lightening and we were sharing my computer. He was trying to figure out if he was looking at my email or his when he said "wow, you get a lot of email". It got me thinking...

I took at look at the email I was getting - a newsletter here, sales notices there. Then I started thinking how many times I just click delete because I don't have time to read them. It was quite an eye-opener. Almost every time I delete them. So, what's the point? In fact, it's just encouraging me to buy stuff I don't need anyway. So, I diligently began evaluating each and every email as it came in and asked myself these questions:

How many times in the past three months have I actually read this email?
Is this something I want to be reminded of even if I don't have time to read it?

If the first answer was NONE, I scrolled to the bottom of the email and clicked "Unsubscribe". If it was at least once, I kept the subscription for at least one more month. If the answer to the second question was YES, I added the site to my favorites with the intention of checking out the list when I'm surfing the net.

Guess what? I opened my email this morning and I had THREE emails! That's right, only THREE! And, they were all relevant things that were important to me. Hey, I think I've found another 15 minutes in my day! I'm off to figure out how to spend my new found time!

Work/Life Balance When Mom is Sick

Where does balance fit in when mom is the one who is sick? In my house, we found out the past two weeks. Work/life balance went out the window – mere survival took complete precedence!

To some extent, we are all control freaks. I am no different. I’m a planner, manager, organizer and when I’m not – things get out of control quickly. When I recently went in for a simple surgery, I made arrangements for the kids to allow myself plenty of downtime to recover. But, when my recovery turned more extensive all my plans went right out the window.

But, you know what I discovered? Everyone survived. The kids got off to school, they got fed, they got their homework done, and they got to bed. Did they do it on my schedule? No. But it got done. And, I got plenty of “me” time to recover. I actually enjoyed the less hurried pace that I usually impose on myself.

Unfortunately, I know things will quickly get back to that rushed tempo we are all used to. I hope, though, that I can take the lessons of the past two weeks forward with me. I think it will make me a better mom.

·         Everything doesn’t always have to run smoothly.

·         It’s ok to walk slowly.

·         Things can work when we do it my husband’s way.

·         My kids are more self-sufficient than I realize.

·         I have a great family.