Readers are talking about email a lot lately.

My computer is cluttered. I have no idea how to clear it out. What guidelines do I to use to figure out whether to let go of something or keep it?

Another reader sent me this message just yesterday:

I have a backlog of messages, some of which are stored in files, some not, that I need to go through and sort out.

So do you have any suggestions about how I should tackle this? Should I just set aside several hours and go through the whole lot (and try in future not to accumulate!) or should I do a bit of time over a longer period?

A third reader piped up with a book recommendation for The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage your E-mail before it Manages You by Mike Song, Tim Burress, and Vicky Habey. (I haven’t read it, but it sounds great!)

I’m delighted you’re asking for ideas about how the heck to get rid of this stuff. It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?

Your way is the best way

I got started organizing because I was painfully disorganized. I tried to read books about how to “do it right” and you know what? I never finished them. I made stern resolutions, but I couldn’t remember all the tips I’d learned – and things would fall apart and worse.

Because I’ve been there, I love sharing my ideas for you. But remember there’s a Wise Self inside of you. No one knows what’s right for you more than you do.

The magic question

What got me out of overwhelm and disorganization was learning to ask myself: “What do I need?” I’d get stressed or overwhelmed, I’d miss a deadline or forget an appointment. After giving myself some grace, I’d ask, “What is it I need so I can do this better?”

That is the magic question.

Once you ask this, trust. Trust what you need. You may hang on to email because you feel afraid of losing its valuable information. You may be ready and want to get rid of some of it. Wherever you are, read through these suggestions and then ask yourself, “Is this what I need?” You’ll find an answer that’s right for you (and if you don’t, let’s talk).

Things to try

1. Purge email when you want to:

If you have a full Inbox right now and you want to downsize it, congratulations. That’s progress! Hampster Revolution recommends choosing an arbitrary number in advance (like 42) and just get rid of that many emails in one sitting.

Set a timer for 20 or so minutes to make it less painful and possibly faster. Then set another time to do it again. Small chunks of time might be more palatable and productive. Personally, I’d rather have a root canal than clear out email for 8 hours solid.

If you want to archive emails that are taking up space on your computer, you can use a backup hard drive, USB thumb drives or archival quality DVDs to store them long term.

You might want to put a date on your archives. If you haven’t opened or accessed the information stored by the date you choose, you can purge them permanently.

2. Give critical information a place to live:

If you don’t know where it is, it’s harder to find.

Point 1: It’s darn-near impossible to sort through email to find what you need. So don’t use email to keep track of time-sensitive information, contact information, or other details. Instead, keep it where you’re going to need it eventually anyway.

I recommend having an electronic or paper calendar handy so you can plop in info you’ll need. When the appointment rolls around, it’s all there for you.

Point 2: Because too much Inbox mail is visually overstimulating, don’t store anything in your Inbox but new emails. No “to-dos” in there. No reminders to follow-up. Nada.

To accomplish this, let it live somewhere you’ll find it. Create a place to store the emails you need but that aren’t urgent.

One way to do this is with filters. They’re amazing! Filters automatically screen incoming emails and send them into folders you design. This feature is available in Microsoft Outlook and several other email programs.

This screen shot shows you the filter categories I’ve assigned in my own account. When an email comes in from b5, Gmail filters it and automatically pops it into the correct folder for me.

Then, when I feel like reading my 13 newsletters, I will. But they don’t clog up my Inbox while they sit waiting.

3. Grant yourself permission to not choose:

I really believe that removing clutter adds freedom and energy to your life.

However, I have a clutter-removing exception for email. If you use a free email program like Google or Yahoo that offers unlimited storage, you can let yourself off the hook.

Why force yourself to purge old stuff if you don’t have to? As long as messages aren’t gumming up your Inbox, you can breathe easy. See that little “Archive” button in the screen shot? It removes the selected email from your Inbox, but stores message forever.

I particularly like Gmail because it has a very powerful search engine so I can easily retrieve old messages by name, content, subject, date and more.

Summing up

If you’re loaded down with emails in your inbox:

– Start whittling away at old Inbox emails a few at a time
– Check out using filters to weed out what’s urgent and what’s not
– See if you have unlimited storage – and decide if it will help you

Care to comment?

Creating calm after the storm

A few weeks ago, I asked readers to send in questions about their home office struggles and anything they’ve been wondering about. I made this request partly because I just like to hear from you.

And also, of course, because I want to help.

I received an email from my buddy, Karen, who is a parent coach (and a darned good one!) in Portland, Oregon. Here is what she said:

Well, [my issue is] not at all wacky, but actually fairly boring. MAIL! It’s taking over! UGH!

Okay, taking a deep breath now. . . I got behind on a bunch of stuff and I’m a bit overwhelmed getting caught up again, so my desk looks like a typhoon hit it. Not sure when I will have time to clean it either. Thank god it’s a roll top!

Anyway, some strategies for handling mail and maybe for handling a back log without the overwhelm would be great!

The thing I love about Karen’s email is that it’s so honest. We all have times in life like this and maybe you laughed in self-recognition reading it – I know I did! So when you read this, Karen, just know that you’re in good company.

From the backlog – into flow

You probably know what a backlog looks like. If you say the word “backlog” out loud, it just feels depressing. And trying to “get through” a backlog pile can feel like a daunting, overwhelming, sloggy task.

Breaking it down

The most important thing to know about a pile of accumulated anything is that it’s made up of individual parts. It may look like one thing – a big pile – but if you look really closely, it has many separate pieces.

If you’re in the place that Karen describes, there’s just one way forward: pick up a single piece. Open it.

Then get rid of what you don’t want (envelopes, “don’t miss out” offers, credit card checks, etc.). Keep the bits that you really do want or need.

Then pick up the next piece. If you focus on one at a time, really focus on it, it helps keep the overwhelm at bay.

Tracking the important bits

If you do this for 20 minutes or so, what you’ll end up with is a pile of to-do’s. Things to file, things to follow up on, bills to pay, etc.

You may find it handy to write a list of these actions as you go so you don’t have to keep the whole pile on your desk to remind you.

Get support

If you’re overwhelmed by the pile you’re facing, that is totally okay (not to mention normal)!

You might want to do some self-nourishment before, during, and after the time that you work on it. Maybe you’d like a nice cup of tea or cocoa to sip on. Or some of your favorite music at a rousing volume. You could even include a trusted friend to assist you in person or maybe check in with someone by phone when you’re done to get a dose of encouragement.

It can also help to set a timer or otherwise restrict the amount of time you work on this project. A specific amount of time helps you make decisions faster and can give you some relief knowing an end is in sight.

Things to try

An overwhelm reframe

It’s common to have all kinds of fearful or judgmental thoughts about a backlog of stuff. If you notice these thoughts coming up, make space for them – and then remind yourself of how important your work is to you, your clients, to the world.

Instead of a “beat-self-up” session, choose to make your downsizing process an act of love and service to your business. Bring your heart into it.

Separate the wheat from the chaff

After establishing a time limit, pick up once piece at a time and decide what you’d like to do with it. Be kind to yourself by stopping when you agreed to (unless you’re really having fun).

Think sustainably

Next week, we’ll explore ways to stem the tide before it crashes in. Tune in then and find easy and encouraging ways to increase your peace and decrease mail-related stress before it happens.

Care to comment?

Everybody knows that a daffodil won’t bloom outdoors in December. The cold and snow herald a time for the bulb to retreat into the dark earth and restore its vigor and strength.

Although sometimes we lose sight of this truth, you are also part of nature.

Are you fighting nature?

Many business models encourage perpetual productivity. But because our creativity is part of the natural cycle, there must be a time for replenishment, too.

Wintertime is as vital to the life of a plant as the glorious blooms of springtime and the fruits of summer and fall. So it is also with you. And your business.

Creativity takes time

Now, I’m not advocating that you close up shop tomorrow to return sometime in March.

But have you ever walked away from a project that’s been challenging you – to walk the dog, or take a shower, or pick up some eggs from the store and – BAM! The answer you were seeking appears, seemingly from nowhere?

That’s because you gave yourself some winter-time, some space for your brain to rest… and meanwhile the ideas are gestating inside, waiting to bloom.

How to make it hard on yourself

If you stay at your desk, glued to the monitor, trying to get… it… right… Nothing comes.

By forcing yourself to produce when it’s not yet time, you do damage to yourself. You stilt true progress and growth.

Perpetual productivity is painful

So why do you do this? Well, sometimes you need to “get the job done.” But oftentimes, the underlying factor is that the spring blossom and the summer fruit feel good.

You get a high from results. Another checkmark – but at what cost?

The Inspired Home Office 80/20 Rule

80% of creating and productivity is internal and 20% is external, visible work.

This doesn’t mean you need to sit at your desk, twiddling your thumbs for weeks on end. It just means that when you feel the urge to stop (writing, working on a project, whatever), you can trust that it really is time to stop.

And once you’ve stopped, you can choose to do something will nourish your heart and your mind. This will allow the next step will unfold naturally and organically.

Just like daffodils do.

How to work naturally

1. Notice when you force

Do you set up your schedule in a way that forces you to produce, without leaving time for contemplation or rest?

Do you commit to deadlines that seem reasonable, but really aren’t?

Do you notice feeling resentful for intrusions or extra demands on your time?

What choices do you make that contribute to these dymanics?

2. Listen to your inner knowing

While you’re working, listen for a tiny voice inside you that whispers, “I need a break now.” or “Stop.” This is your inner knowing.

It won’t roar, so be alert.

3. Do what the voice says

No, this isn’t a reference to that “I do what the voices in my head tell me to do” bumper sticker.

When you hear that tiny voice, take heed. Really.

You may come to find that the breaks you give yourself take less time than needlessly banging your head against the wall in frustration.

No matter what you do, a daffodil will take as long as it does to go from bulb to blossom. And so it is with you, too.

Care to comment?

Two weeks ago, I spent 5 days with business consultants Mark Silver and Holly Glaser – along with 20 other business owners – at a wooded retreat center at the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. The topic? Creating momentum in your business.

It was fabulous.

I realized over the week that one of the most important sources of entrepreneurial momentum is knowing what your business stands for and why it exists.

Hitting home

If you’ve subscribed to my newsletter for a while, you know that I care deeply about my clients and the success of their business.

Yet, as I’ve encouraged people to get their offices ship-shape, something kept happening. They’d tell me about their problem areas and then we’d write an action plan. But over time, some clients would lose enthusiasm for clearing out the clutter or setting up new systems. Sometimes they saw this work as “time away” from the business and their clients. They’d lose steam.

Not surprisingly, that wasn’t my intention.

A new approach

At Mark’s retreat, I discovered the missing ingredient that helps people get motivated and stay engaged in the process of creating an effective, inspiring home office.

Are you dying to find out that secret ingredient?

It’s passion.

Beginning with the end in mind

I believe that you have a gift. When your workspace isn’t working, it blocks the flow of your gift to the world. It can actually prevent your unique offerings from getting to the people who need them most.

If you’ve been focusing on trying to “fix” your office’s problems (piles or clutter or whatever), it’s okay to stop.

(That means don’t get organized.)

You don’t have to get organized just for the sake of organizing. Don’t force yourself to live up to an unrealistic, uninspiring standard. That’s a dead end that will just deplete you and your business.

Instead…

A favorite author of mine, Robert Fritz, says that you can’t help but create the results you want if you begin with the end in mind.

By starting with a big, juicy vision of how your work can change the world, it will allow you to see with great clarity the very things your office needs to support your work.

Then, you can take it down to the practical level of removing clutter or setting up filing… but the difference is that you’re making changes that align with your vision.

That’s a whole different ball game from just “getting organized”, don’t you think?

Why it matters

It all comes down to this: the world needs your gifts. It needs them more than you can know.

In order to bring your gifts to those who need them, your business needs support – and your office is a fabulous place to start.

Things to try

1. Notice if you guilt/beat yourself up about your clutter/piles/office

If you do, try stopping. Really. I’m extending to you gentle permission to accept your workspace exactly as it is. Take a deep breath. It’s okay. It’s perfect.

See your space for what it is: precious, holy ground that can deeply nurture your business.

2. Connect with your passion

Do you remember the day you got the idea to start your business? Reflect for a moment on what kind of impact you want your business to have in the world?

3. Make tracks

As you keep this global impact in your heart, ask yourself if there’s something you can do in your workspace that would help spread your message to the world more effectively. Is it more regular connections with your contacts? A clearer billing system? An easier way to find the information you need?

What does your business vision need to provide it with complete support? There are no “right” answers, just trust whatever comes up – and then make a note of it.

Connecting your vision with this practical step will make it easier to complete and more fulfilling when it’s done.

Care to comment?

The difference between functional and perfect.

A few years after Martha Stewart became a star (before the prison gig), she could be seen on television in her immaculate maison, wrapping perfect presents with satin ribbon and decorating sugar cookies with all the flair of Degas.

I don’t know how the family joke got started, but my mom took to referring to the Connecticut queen as “Martha F. Stewart.” Not to offend, but you can probably guess what the middle initial stood for.

Credit is due to Ms. Stewart for helping America reconnect with its neglected homes and discover that we could feather our nests and curl up into them. However, her inimitable style upped the ante for America’s working moms, in particular, and brought on a good case of resentment and guilt.

I think that was what my mom was getting at.

Is Martha in your office?

I was talking with a client the other day who’s been battling habitual clutter and winning. But when she mentioned that a small pile had developed on her desk, I could hear her voice get smaller and her energy shrank.

When I probed, she realized that her expectation of a clutter-free, functioning office was that it had to have nothing, nothing in it. Gleaming, ready for the photo shoot. Martha F. Stewart.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The fact is, your office has to work for you, not the other way around. Your office is the place where you work – and work, by nature, is messy.

If you are in the middle of a project, it’s only natural that you have on hand the supplies you need to complete it. It might look like a mess, but that’s okay.

Something more like reality

I like Erma Bombeck. If you haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend that you pick one up. Any of them. She used her wicked sense of humor to make poignant observations about motherhood, marriage, lost socks, and life in general.

Her philosophy, or so it seems to me, is that life is full and messy and you’d better find the funny in it so you can make it through. She made a point not to sweat the small stuff.

She’s more my kinda gal because her attitude parallels my own approach to office organization and design. If your space is functioning for you and your business, great. You can always tweak what isn’t working, but don’t chase after perfection. It will just make you tired.

Instead, find the love in your work, the fun in it, and make sure your space is functional enough to do it well. There’s time enough for Martha F later.

Things to try

1. Inspiration

You probably surround yourself with talismans and images without stopping to notice them very often. Look around your office and locate things that are beautiful and inspiring to you.

Take a moment to really soak in the energy and inspiration that they bring you.

2. Significance

Find something in your space that anyone else might think ugly or messy, but is significant to you.

Maybe you have a project going that is your Next Big Thing. Congratulate yourself on having the vision to bring it to fruition (even if you haven’t touched it in a while).

Or, if you have some object or collection that reminds you of a special person or event in your life, pause to reconnect with that meaningful memory. These are the deep roots that give us courage to fly.

3. Gratitude

Your workspace is a sacred container for your business. Take a deep, cleansing breath – and thank your office for supporting you.

Soak in the significance of having the space and tools together so that your business may thrive and help others.

By noticing the beauty and purpose of your office and its contents, you are nourishing and giving yourself the strength to carry on. What beautiful gifts you, in turn, can to give the world.

Care to comment?

You keep your desk pretty orderly most of the time. That is, you know where to find what you need when you need it – even if you have to dig a little.

And if you spend some time straightening up, you can whittle down what’s on your desk to just about nothing.

But it always seems like there are a few random things things just stick around. You don’t have time for them right now. So they stay put and spoil the success of cleaning your desk.

Kinda.

Red Herrings

Remember that Sesame Street tune “one of these kids is not like the others?” A red herring masquerades as a piece of manageable clutter, but it’s different from the rest.

Take Sam’s membership magazine. It sits on his office desk to remind himself to write a letter. But it wasn’t any ordinary letter.

He was angry about the organization’s policies and intended to give them a piece of his mind – by explaining the ethical grounds upon which he was canceling his subscription.

But he just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

They’re hard to get rid of.

The most common feature of a red herring is that there’s no logical place to put it or file it. So the magazine just sits on Sam’s desk… getting him steamed every time he looks at it.

Okay. So, you’re getting the point here. Besides the fact that red herrings are distracting and messing up your desk, they also tend to accumulate.

“I’ll get to this later.” (plop on desk)
“Oh! I need to remind myself to do this!” (plop on desk)
“Well, I’ll just put this little pile on top of this little pile…” (PLOP on desk)

And before you know it, you’ve got a fine kettle of fish (a.k.a. an unmanageable mess).

What’s a busy business owner to do?

Things to try

Get a net

If you’re hauling in all these herrings, you might as well get something in which you can capture them so they don’t flop all over and make a mess of your workspace.

Take it easy on yourself

If you’re like a lot of people, you look at your accumulated incomplete tasks and say something disparaging about yourself.

Stop right there. Take a deep breath and remember that you’re busy. You have a lot going on. And you choose get to the urgent stuff first. That’s just how it is.

You are totally and completely normal. In fact, you’re also ambitious, creative, and optimistic thinking you can get all this extra stuff done.

Personally, I think you’re pretty cool. So make peace with the “undone stuff” and use your energy for something more enjoyable.

Then, once you’ve made some peace with yourself…

Break it down

Pick up one of those red herrings and figure out what you want to do with it…

What steps do you need to take to complete it?

Write it down

It doesn’t have to be fancy. Scribbling in a spiral notebook with a running to-do list is a great place to start. Or maybe you’re addicted to stickies.

You could write these tasks on your current calendar (if it’s big enough). Or you can use a program on your computer that catalogs all of your tasks and projects.

Whatever works for you!

The trick is to write your self a note to do the task, and then put the related materials (like Sam’s magazine) somewhere other than the surface of your workspace.

Always include the place that you’ve stored the related material in your note. And nothing gets lost – except some clutter from your desk.

Now, doesn’t that sound nice?

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