Are you an email hoarder? If you have Gmail, you’ve found the email hoarder’s best friend. Gmail has a super huge storage capacity for years of emails. And if you use it up, for $1.95 a month you can buy more. Yep, an email hoarder’s dream come true.
It might be tempting to hold on to emails in case you want to refer to them in the future, but think of your inbox as a virtual junk drawer. Muster your courage…MAKE SPACE!
Read it, file it, or trash it.
LIMIT SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
It’s easy to get lost in social networks—just like shopping. You might run into the market for apples and come out thirty minutes later with two gallons of juice and a bag of veggies. If you’re hungry, maybe three!
My point is this: whether your go-to faves are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, you can get totally lost and forget what you visited for. It’s easy to lose track of time perusing social media.
I know you know what I’m talking about. Have you ever logged onto Facebook to check your notifications and then come out of a trance realizing forty minutes have passed? You can waste hours meandering around groups and websites and cluttering your mind.
If this happens to you often, set limits. Set an alarm when you go online. It’ll make you aware of the passage of time. And don’t hit the snooze button!
When it comes to surfing the internet, watching YouTube, or burying your face in your Facebook newsfeed, self-discipline is your only salvation.
Release Negative Emotions
Holding on to negativity takes up emotional space. Why carry your pain around? Make space by releasing negative emotions such as bitterness, anger, and resentment.
Resentment is super toxic. It’s the process of repetitively replaying feelings of anger or rewinding mind-movies of events that brought the negativity about in the first place. By doing so, you force yourself to relive experiences emotionally, mentally, and even physically.
Regardless of whether you are hurt or angry, allowing the actions of another to occupy your heart and mind only hurts you. The only way out is to release. It may seem as though you’re doing it for the other person, but you’re actually doing it for yourself.
FORGIVENESS
The word forgive doesn’t mean “let the other guy off the hook” or “sweep it under the carpet.” It could mean, “bury the hatchet,” but not in the other person’s back, of course!
“Forgive” actually translates as “to free.” The Greek translation means “to let go.” Letting go frees emotional space and it comes with HUGE health benefits as well.
Begin by forgiving yourself.
Whether we’re aware of it or not, we all hold onto resentment toward ourselves for our own mistakes, certain behaviors, and slip-ups we make.
Subconsciously, resentments set off a chain reaction. First, they cause us to judge ourselves harshly, and then that judgment calls for punishment. These judgments are often the source of feelings of being undeserving and self-sabotage. Self-sabotage can affect everything you do for the rest of your life—unless you deal with it.
Let go!
Regardless of what has happened to you, whether by your own hand or that of someone else, release it. Don’t let anger occupy space in your heart or head.
The value of making space in your life extends far beyond the space itself. When you release, let go, and move on, you open up more of what the good life offers. Make space for life, love, and happiness!
What Comes First?
How are you doing so far? Getting the hang of things? Everything I discussed in earlier chapters comes together here:
•Organizing your life requires a system
•Making space is necessary for organizing
•AND prioritizing is an aspect of making space
If getting it done is your goal, knowing your priorities and following through is the best way to achieve what you’re after. I’m taking for granted that you have the idea and you’re ready for the heavy lifting.
Whatever your priorities, be sure they’re in alignment with your goals. If they aren’t and you’re out of whack, you can always move things around and sync them up.
Now, don’t go criticizing yourself because of your priorities! A priority is something that’s important to you, and everyone’s priorities are different. It’s a personal thing. We prioritize for our families, businesses, and other relationships, and for every aspect of our lives.
Well, at least we prioritize in our heads. Have you taken the time to prioritize on paper? Really! It makes a difference in getting it done.
Your family might be the most important focus in your life. I know mine is. Maybe your career heads the list. Knowing what you want most will help you align what you do with your priorities.
If you’re single, you will probably have different priorities than someone in a relationship, with or without kids. Some singles focus on building their careers and others on shaving their schedules down to a four-hour workweek. Whatever your center of attention, there’s no right or wrong—it’s up to you.
You might be a relationship person. Which relationships are your priorities? Is spending time with your longtime friends most important, or are you into meeting new people? How about dating? Prioritizing will allow for balance and harmony between all the facets of your life.
So Much to Do!
At times it can seem like the world is crashing down on top of you. If you’re a mom, you have a major responsibility. In traditional families, there’s the house and a family to care for, unless you can afford to hire help. If you have littles, there’s school, as well as homework, doctor’s appointments, playdates—you know the drill. And if you’re a single parent, most of it falls on you, the chief cook and bottle washer.
If you’re a “momtrepreneur” and run a business, it can be especially hard to get everything done. I know this firsthand.
Between my travel schedule, webinars, and private coaching, I work super hard to keep my life balanced.
I have to keep things going at home while managing my professional life. Sometimes it seems like meetings, paperwork, communication, training, and education have to be squeezed in between other responsibilities. I won’t let non-priorities take precedence or allow my family to suffer because of them.
Even super important things can slip between the cracks if you’re not paying attention. Do what you can do and then somehow find a way to pick up the slack.
Learning to prioritize effectively will help you be more efficient by helping you get to the most important things first. It’ll save time, and in the process, energy. The bonus? LESS STRESS!
First, dig all of your priorities out of your head and commit them to paper. Even if you have a great memory, we’re working on making space, so holding things in your head is counterproductive.
Here are a few tips to help keep you aware of your priorities so you can place them at the top of your to-do-now list.
PULL OUT YOUR TASK LIST
As I wrote in the first chapter, making monthly, weekly, and daily task lists will help you organize everything you need to