Do you remember growing up and helping your mother do “spring cleaning”? It was a time we sorted through old clothes that no longer fit, cleaned closets, dusted places that hadn’t been touched all winter, did a little touch up painting, etc. As an adult my spring cleaning used to happen over the summer. That’s when I had the most time since I was a teacher in my first career. Now that I’m semi retired I have tried to clean, toss and review for tossing every Thursday. Garbage pick up is Fridays.
This year I’m going to do a 21st century spring clean up next week. Notice I didn’t say starting TODAY! I have over 2650 emails in my in basket, some dating back almost five years. Do I really need to save all that? I have over 2900 emails in my sent box. Good grief! I intended to put some of these “priceless” emails in folders. That didn’t happen so I must not need them, right? Did I mention I have 3 different emails to clean up? Anything that’s not related to my business, Emersonstreet Books, is history! I’m lying…but it feels organizing to say it.
I have a second book that should be published by summer and a third book that’s finished and needs an agent. Have I started my marketing plan? No. Well it’s in stacks of ideas on my desk, the floor and card table in my office. That will also be how I spend Spring Break next week. It’s time to update my list too. And my website needs an overhaul.
Whew! That won’t leave much time for sorting, dusting, painting and fixing up. And I sooo wanted to get into those closets.
7 responses so far ↓
Beverly Mahone // April 15, 2009 at 5:49 pm |
Girlfriend,
I thought I was bad—but FIVE YEARS is a LONG TIME!!! But I do understand about holding on to “stuff.” I had some emails dating back a few years because I always thought I might need them again. Then one day myu computer crashed and I lost everything. I guess that was God’s way of telling me it was time to get my house in order.
Welcome to the Platinum Divas Club and we will be adding your blog to our Read-A-Blog Day (Saturdays) rotation.
Betty Lynch // April 18, 2009 at 1:53 pm |
I use to be the same way, but not anymore. If I haven’t taken care of storing the email at of my email box in one week, its deleted. This keeps my inbox to about 50 emails a week.
Good luck with your spring cleaning!!
Karlyn // April 18, 2009 at 2:38 pm |
It bothers me when I have build up in my mailbox. I mean it really physically makes me uneasy and would sit at the back of my mind until I took the time to just do it, as Nike used to say. I don’t know how your email system is set up, but if you have the chance to set up and use labels and filters, they really help. I use GMail and everything that comes through either gets ditched or labels and archived. I have created (over time) 37 labels (all colorized very pretty I might add
that act as folders and the one at the very top is named @TO-DO for my urgent stuff. Anyways, it does help. It’s my system, doesn’t work for all.. but 2600 emails?? eeek!
Heidi Caswell // April 18, 2009 at 6:15 pm |
Hi, great to meet a new Diva.
I quit sorting email a long time ago. I use gmail, and use the search button. Lots of space so I don’t worry about needing to “clean house” there.
Still I have old files on my computer, contacts to update, etc. Spring cleaning still needing to be done. Sadly my closets need organizing too. So spring clean my business stuff or house? Or jump online and visit with friends?
Archer Pam // April 19, 2009 at 4:40 am |
Didn’t Beverly tell you about the initiation that all the Divas have to go through to be accepted into Boomer Diva Nation? Oh girl….if you are spring cleaning shy, you are not going to be down about the test. It took me by complete surprise. I had no idea!
Eileen Williams // April 19, 2009 at 2:06 pm |
You have inspired me!! My email stack is almost as long as yours and I, too, have them dating back into distant history. Why do I feel the need to save all these gems for posterity? No more!!!!
I’ll do some spring cleaning of my own. And pushing the delete button is sure a heck of a lot easier than scrubbing, dusting, pitching and sorting!
ayburke // April 19, 2009 at 4:31 pm |
I started the other day deleting emails…and got distracted reading some of them. There are some really good articles, jokes, you know what I’m talking about…stuff. I guess I deleted about 300, barely a dent in what’s there. Any way yesterday I spent all day cleaning the house instead. It looks really great. I feel accomplished! HA!
BYW Pam…What initiation test!!!