Spring Cleaning
March 6, 2010
Something about the first sign of spring that gets me in the mood to clean. Much to my roommates chagrin this motivation hasn’t quite moved me to dig deep into the pile of laundry in my bedroom.
Last night and today have gotten me into a mode of digital spring cleaning, and I must say it has been rather therapeutic.
It started with finally settling on a budget software. I went with Mint (http://www.mint.com/)
If you’re looking for a way to keep an eye on your spending habits it is a great tool, but the lack of a future view tends to keep it from being a truly outstanding budgeting program. But for what it is it is just about the best I have found.
I’m late to the table with this so you may already know about Mint. But I love being able to see all my accounts in one place. Plus it is great to see where my money is going. Right now, Coffee shops and fast food are wrecking my bank accounts.
The budget is a constant work in progress, but it’s nice to get it started… again.
Phase 2 involved cleaning out all my documents folders. Why did I even save half of these files?
I had one that was just a number. I don’t think it was a phone number. The document was titled “number.” Very helpful. Obviously I assumed I would just know what this number was.
I didn’t.
It’s gone.
I put everything in a place where I can find it.
Multiple, clearly named folders… What a concept!
I think this morning was the most therapeutic act of all.
Purging my inbox.
I deleted a solid 700 e-mails. That’s probably small fish for you to fry, but for me I was overwhelmed by how much had accumulated over time.
I didn’t need to free the space. I’m not that important of a person, but it felt good to click “delete” on all that junk mail. And there was a sigh of relief as I deleted the last of e-mails from an old flame. There was a little temptation to take a stroll down memory lane. I gave in and read a brief back-and-forth.
Then I remembered why we broke up.
What remaining romantic notion there was got deleted along the interactions. (and my girlfriend breathes a sigh of relief as well)
Personally, organization is not my strong suit. So I don’t stress out over a little clutter, but it is good to take time and get rid of the excessive clutter. Whether it is your desk or your inbox. Chaos does not make for a healthy creative environment.You have to find what suits you, and if you share a workspace you have to find compromise.
I do know that an exceptional amount of clutter tends to point to deeper matters.
When everything is a wreck I am typically stressed. Rushing from one project to the next, and refusing to take the time to slow down and make sense of things leaves me with a mess, and once things are a mess and I can’t find anything I am stressed.
It’s a vicious cycle.
It’s nice to take the time and break the cycle on occasion. Each time I do so I get a little better at avoiding the cycle in the first place.
