Thursday, March 21, 2013

Inbox


There is something to be said for an empty email inbox: it is a beautiful thing.  I make a point of filing all of my emails and cleaning it out (along with the sent-items folder) as my last work duty every day.  It feels good, like the day truly is complete and I have met all of my work requirements for today.  It is a beautiful thing to see an empty inbox and sent-items folder.  I know that tomorrow I will not have to sort through today's dregs to find the new items of the day.  Removal of the day's clutter feels good, it feels like I have allowed myself a fresh start for tomorrow.

It is like filing papers.  If I kept every paper piled on my desk instead of in folders or binders, I would have an overwhelming mountain.  I struggle with rogue papers cluttering my spaces, but when they are all filed and cleaned up, I always feel airy and light.  This is much the same.

If there are emails that will require follow-up tomorrow, I create links for them in my Task pane, and file the emails away.  Once my Task pane is empty, I am assured that all of my obligations for the day are met, even the carryover from the day before.

Last night I didn't empty my inbox.  I opened the program and saw six things I needed to address staring me in the face.  Every time a new email came in, I felt a little bit overwhelmed, or dumped on.  This is not a beautiful thing.  It was a great reminder to myself of why I go through the extra effort every afternoon to empty that inbox.  Everything I see on the screen is for today only, there is no history or past issues clogging my inbox. Everything is filed away, where I can get it if I need it for reference.

I love the daily feeling of completion.  No matter what I have failed or succeeded at today, my inbox is empty and I know that tomorrow will be a new day.  There will be new imperatives from a boss or two, new students in panic mode, new learning mentors with strange questions.  My husband says it's an exercise in being in the moment rather than having to spread myself across the past and present. Getting a tiny little fresh start every morning is a beautiful thing, the communications part of my work day is a fresh slate.

I deserve BEAUTY in my life!




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