And I LOVE paper. I really love paper. I love the way it feels. I love the way my brain processes when I am reading a piece of paper vs reading online (well aware of the irony as I type this right now). And there is research to back me up. It is actually easier for me to read off paper then off a screen.
Lots of paper can drain your energy.
You look at paper and see knowledge to be gained and wisdom to be shared. Magazine articles on how to make the perfect apple pie. An article on how to organized and stay that way as we approach the New Year. it also represents projects that need to be completed. To-dos yet to be done. Decisions to be made. Lots of decisions to be made.
This can overwhelm anyone. We spend our day in modern society making lots and lots of decisions. Researchers estimate about 35,000 actually.
We then look at our pile of paper and think it may be easier to just to deal with what actually needs to happen today and tomorrow. Problem is, we don’t know what is in the pile that needs to get addressed right now so we don’t do anything.
Then we feel guilt and shame and that zaps our energy.
There is another way.
A few quick tips that are life changing:
Ask, “Does this piece of paper support a goal or a project I am working on right now? If it does what is the next ACTION step?” Decide on that step and then SCHEDULE when you are going to take that action.
If it is a piece of paper then represents a project that seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, not so much, go ahead and get rid of it. Living in “maybe” also zaps your energy.
Give yourself the gift of energy. Don’t give it away to your paper.
And to help you in this process, I am delighted to offer you a seat at an event I am having in Chicago this weekend. Tame the Paper Monster will get real with more questions to ask and tools to learn so that you can get your energy back from paper.
Own you power…over paper.
Jennifer
