I am sitting here early on the morning of Tuesday, January 7th with a long list of to-dos written in my new Moleskine 2020 planner. There is no doubt that I am a list person, motivated by self-established goals and internal drive. And today, like almost every other day, I have a list.
One task on my list today is to clean out my email inbox. Honestly, since my wedding five months ago, I have about 40 emails that have just sat there unread. Some of them may require focus and a detailed response while others require simpler replies. There are certain periods when emails feel like they take a lot of emotional energy and then other times where I excel at replying and can keep my inbox hovering around 5 unread messages. Right now my email prioritization system is out of whack, which is why I am trying to tackle some of the more involved replies and then move on from there.
According to an article written about email management by Alex Cavoulacos for The Muse, "In email terms, make sure you're not filling your jar with sand by answering quick and easy emails first—you’ll never get to the big, important ones. Instead, when faced with a two-hour block of time, you should always start with emails that require 30 minutes or more and get at least one or two of those done before doing any quicker ones." So this is the strategy I am going to use today in the 3-hour block I have reserved for the task.
However, despite the need to spend time replying and restructuring my email system, I also have grace that maybe it will not all be accomplished today. It feels like I have a thousand other things to do: completing my intense amount of Turkish homework before tomorrow's class, reorganizing the finances for our church and a couple of appointments in the afternoon. I also want to get in a good workout before the day gets away from me. Wish me luck!
That's a little peek into my day today! What is one thing you have to get done today?
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Art work by Alessandra Olanow © alessandraolanow.com