It's Better Than It Could Have Been

I've been thinking that yesterday's post didn't quite fit with my Simplifying and Destressing theme, but then I realized that without my simplifying and destressing efforts, my stress level right now would be even higher than it is. My decluttering and simplifying efforts at home are really going well. I have such positive feelings about my progress in that area. Because of some of the new habits I'm cultivating, my house is staying cleaner and clutter free, so although I may be stressing about work-related things, my home is not adding to the problem and it's a haven at the end of the day instead of one more thing to stress about.

And even though I'm not progressing as swiftly on the Simplifying and Destressing at the office as I am at home, a few things I'm doing there are at least keeping me sane in the middle of all the grading and prep. I've already told you about never leaving the office without a clear desk, and I would never have believed just how effective a strategy this is. I feel a sense of order when I walk out the door in the evening, and when I walk in the next morning things seem to be a little more under my control.

Another thing I've been doing is keeping a "Most Important Things" list. Before I leave for the day, on the top sheet of my notepad I list the things that absolutely, positively must be done tomorrow. These usually have to do with the following day's classes, but not always. On another sheet, I keep a running list of things that need to be done, but not immediately. When I get to work, I immediately start in on my must-do list, doing nothing else (but teaching classes) until those are accomplished. Then, I know I'm at least ready for the next day. If there's extra time, I move on to an item on the not-so-urgent list. These lists don't lessen my load or get my work done for me, but they do remove the fear of realizing at the last minute that I'm unprepared or have forgotten something important.

Additionally, I keep reminding myself that the extra work I'm putting into Comp I now will pay off in less stress in the future. A stitch in time . . .

In & Out

My new paperwork/mail/email systems work like this:

Mail: I get the mail. Immediately I trash the junk mail. I open everything else right then. My magazines go in my reading basket by my chair. My husband's magazines go in his reading basket, yes, you guessed it, in the bathroom. (It's a guy thing, I guess.) I file what needs to be filed. If it's a bill, I throw away all the inserts and put the bill in the new tray I bought for the office desk. If it contains information about a meeting or appointment, etc. I record that information on my calendar immediately. That's it. It takes only a minute or two, and both my desk and my kitchen island (where mail used to languish and multiply) stay clean. Every couple of days, I pay the bills that have accumulated and file them. Nothing's lost and nothing's forgotten.

Email: A week ago my email inbox contained, I'm ashamed to admit, 1252 items. 1252!!! The number alone gave me heart palpitations, but surely all that must be important, right? Wrong. I started with the oldest ones and deleted wholesale. If I didn't even have any idea what was back there, how important could it be? As I got nearer to today's date, I paid closer attention to what was there, but most of it was simply stuff I hadn't deleted way back when I should have. So I deleted everything but a couple of items. Those, I created folders for and moved them into the appropriate one. My rule now is to handle every new email as soon as I read it. If it's junk, I delete it. If I need to respond, I do it right then and then delete. If it's an appointment, I record it in my datebook and delete. If it's something that I may need later, I move it to the appropriate folder. Right now, there's only one item in my inbox, and it's only still there because it's an ongoing group conversation that I'll delete as soon as all have responded and the matter's settled.

So easy. So simple. Right? It's just a habit that I'm trying to do until it becomes second nature. I'm breathing easier already.

Prerequisites

A couple of items on the list really jumped out at me--#26 Create a simple mail and paperwork system and #30 Keep your email inbox empty, for instance--but it made no sense to attempt to alter my patterns without recognizing and dealing with some prerequisites. It doesn't matter how I handle incoming mail if my office looks like a tornado just passed through, or you can't see the color of my desk because papers cover the top of it.

So, I put those two off until I'd done the basics. I told you yesterday about cleaning and organizing our home office. I also started the process at work. The first thing I did was to follow #28 Clear your desk. I began by completely cleaning off the top of my desk. Now, it holds only my lamp, a couple of framed pictures, a blotter, a pencil holder, a coaster for my coffee cup or water bottle, a business-card holder, and an inbox. It looks so much better now. There's plenty of space for working--a vast, peaceful expanse--and my inbox contains only items that I will handle within the next day or two. Everything else was filed, recorded, or thrown away. The drawers aren't too bad, but I'm taking it slowly and organizing one drawer a day. Another new rule: I do not leave work for the day without my desktop being clear. It forces me to handle things immediately, and it feels wonderful to walk in my office the next morning and see that clean desk. Such a simple rule, but so effective. Seeing all that clutter as I entered my office every day used to raise my stress level before work even began. Now, I see the desk and actually feel calmer.

My mail/paperwork/email systems? Tomorrow.

The Next Step

Ok. Confess. How many of you have put an item on your to-do list that you've already done just so you have at least one thing to check off and feel relieved about? Come on, come on.

That's how I felt when I was reading over the list for the first time and ran across #39. Exercise. Aha! At least that's one I already do. 6 days a week I do some form of cardio, usually power-walking or jogging, and 3-4 days a week I strength train. My program's not set in stone. I change when I'm bored or discover something new and interesting, but the main idea is that I do it. I know I need to add Yoga, but I haven't found any classes that work with my schedule, and I haven't been able to discipline myself to do a video. But, I digress . . .

As I said yesterday, I wanted to start with things that would provide an immediate and positive impact on me. One of my first choices was #9. Purge your stuff. The desire to purge my stuff is one of the things that set me on my quest to simplify, but how do I do it without becoming overwhelmed and quitting? I came up with a one-thing-a-day plan. I resolved to do one thing a day that will declutter the spaces I live and work in. I might clean out one drawer, or one cabinet, or one shelf. I put a bag in my closet, and one item a day that I don't ever wear or that I don't really like or that doesn't fit me just right goes into it. When it's full, I donate it to charity. This rule does double duty, because I declutter one thing at home and one thing at work every day. I've been amazed at how easy this is and how good it is making me feel.

I did get one good jump-start last weekend. During the pursuit of my doctorate, I neglected things around the house a little bit, and our home office had become a wilderness, a totally out of control space. Just thinking about it spiked my blood pressure. Walking past it made me want to cry. Papers and books were piled everywhere. It was hard to find anything, and I was always worried that I hadn't paid one of the bills or that an important paper we needed was lost. So last Saturday I decided to just jump in, and my wonderful husband joined me. We cleaned off every flat surface, organized every drawer, went through the cabinets. (Well, except for two that contain only family pictures, baby books, high school annuals, etc. They need organizing but not purging, and they don't affect my daily stress level. I'm saving them for a summer project.) Every paper was filed or thrown away. I was so happy and relieved, and for the rest of the day I'd occasionally just go to the office, walk in, and smile.

Tune in tomorrow for my next step.