Taking Ownership of the Story!

Being in my forties, I still struggle occasionally with leaving behind the junior high fairy tales that a lot of girls use as the template for their lives. None of those stories came true for me, so why would that seem so hard to get over, huh? Maybe the daydreamer in me is waiting for my handsome prince to come along and fulfill those dreams, since I certainly haven't done such a good job on my own. Oh wait! I guess that means my fate is ultimately in someone else's hands, at their discretion, and written in their time. I don't care for that thought either. I might not like or agree with the 'happy ending' that someone else picks out for me.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I know that the deal was sealed on my eternal fate, but that doesn't negate my responsibilities for this life on earth. I've got to be actively involved in today, tomorrow, and forever. Every day begins with a 'once upon a time', but the hard part is knowing where the story will end up. There are so many distractions that keep me from my goals... goals of health, strong relationships, satisfaction at work, contentment at home, etc. I only wish that the stories created by the distractions did not overshadow my own.

I'm no writer, but I can tell you that if I were a research paper, I'd have a pretty weak thesis statement. Despite being an expert on myself and having all the available research, what's been missing is a true declaration of intent. After struggling through the past year I needed a fresh start to my story and took New Year's Day 2010 as my cue to begin. Lots of changes have happened already this year but the biggest one has been my attitude. What a difference! The title of my story for this year is written on a dry-erase board affixed to my back door as a reminder every time I go in and out of my house. I am actively writing each chapter with a more simple, but defined theme.

What if email could speak?

Yes, I realize that there are many text-to-speech programs that could read my email to me, but would they change the way I handle incoming and outgoing messages? If A&E had a show called 'Email Hoarders', I would likely be a candidate... at least in my own mind. I treat my email client somewhat like my kitchen counter with the various piles... there's a pile that needs immediate attention and a few other piles that either need to be filed or have coupons I might want later. Of course if those piles are not actually filed or used, the counter gets covered with paper and is rendered useless as a kitchen counter.

Here are some tips to keep your email client (and kitchen counter) useful:
* Begin with cleanup efforts using the DELETE button
* Use Filters and Folders to organize and sort email
* Maintain your email with this philosophy: "Read and Delete"
* Prioritize email using labels or color
* Empty trash daily
* Create folders called Follow-up, To Do, or Hmmmm...
* Clear your inbox daily

By following these simple tips, I hope to fully recover from my Email Hoarding once and for all.
Wish me luck!