I can always tell when winter is over, because my television and radio all of a sudden become sounding boards for how I can shed my winter weight and fit into a smaller size by summer. The television commercials are layered with before and after photos of someone who has tried the product and was amazed at the results. The customer is often quoted as having said, “This product changed my life.”
After giving it some thought I realized that the benefits of getting fit for summer are not just limited to dropping a dress size. When it comes to our homes, many of us get fit by performing a ritual of spring cleaning. We downsize our closets and remove clutter in preparation for the new season.
In the professional world this would be the equivalent of downsizing the amount of clutter in your work space, including your computer. Therefore, I would like to offer you a few tips to help you get your work-life fit for summer:
- Block out an hour on your calendar to weigh in. Evaluate where you are and the goal you desire to achieve. Set aside additional time over the next week to workout/achieve your goal.
- Start with your paper; file the items you need to retain and recycle the rest. (Use your company’s business and legal standards for retention.)
- In your e-mail Inbox use the 4D’s to process all of your information: 1. DELETE what you do not need to retain or file items that need to be referenced in the future, 2. DO IT if you can complete the action requested in the e-mail in two-minutes or less, 3. DELEGATE it if the action requested can be effectively completed by another colleague then forward the e-mail and any necessary instructions, 4. DEFER it by dragging the e-mail to the appropriate application if the e-mail needs to be placed on your calendar or task pad.
- After you have processed your Inbox, look to do the same with your sent and deleted folder.
By using these steps, you may very well drop a full storage unit size by summer. Then you can say, “This has changed my life!”
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