Self Help for Your Inbox

David Allen has recently created a Getting Things Done Blackberry Setup Guide, including 'getting your email to zero'. How is that possible??? I've just used a quiet Sunday morning to sort out my own email and despite being a bit tedious to start with it also feels liberating now that my inbox is down to a single screen (and I'm determined to see if it's really possible to go to zero).

It's so easy to hoard emails. If there is the slimmest of slim chances that we might need an email for reference we hang on to it, often just letting it languish in our inbox so that every time we do need to action an email it takes forever to find it. It's boring to file emails properly so they build up into ridiculous digital piles, cluttering up our inbox, taking up too much room and distracting us from current, relevant communication.

Since I went freelance I've been lucky that I don't get those huge, never-ending round robin emails where a 5-way conversation takes place over email rather than in person. But just think, if you do have those, what a lovely feeling to just delete the lot of them except the most recent.

Here's a few tips I've picked up from expert authors over the years and which I try to put into practice... and when I do life does feel a whole lot simpler:

Set aside some time to make a start on organising your email.

Create a filing system, for example mine is as follows

• Specific projects each have a folder
• I have a 'Reading' folder for newsletters I want to read but don't have time to do so as soon as they arrive in my inbox
• 'Interesting' - for emails that spark ideas, these are far too distracting to keep in your inbox
• 'Leads' - before they become projects or don't happen
• 'Waiting for' is a folder for emails where I have done my bit but they are still ongoing and waiting for someone else to respond
• 'Pending' - for emails that need action but not right this second
• 'Reference' - for admin and subscriptions
• 'Personal Reference' - personal admin

David Allen suggests that once you have done a thorough tidy-up then every time you go into your email programme you need to do a quick audit immediately. If you can answer an email immediately in a couple of minutes then go ahead and do it. If not then you need to put it somewhere. If it needs an answer but you need to think about it or find something out then it goes into 'Pending', everything else theoretically can be filed or binned. Once you've been through your inbox you can then go through 'Pending' and work out your 'next actions' list - i.e. the next thing you need to do for each of those pending emails. What you don't need to do is write a massive to do list of every single project and task you can think of. What do you need to do first?

When I have an energetic, creative hour on my hands I open up the 'Leads' or 'Interesting' folder to find something to pursue. Often I'll have a couple of hours over the weekend to catch up on some 'Reading'. I can't say I'll ever be truly organised but it does feel better than having hundreds or even thousands of emails in my inbox... just picture that as an in-tray on your desk!

Happy World Book Day

And my own recommendation if you haven't already read it is This Book Will Change Your Life by A. M. Homes. It's a satire on self-help but in a good way and just great fun. Plus it has the best cover.

literary inspiration

I stumbled across the following line in Thomas Hardy's The Woodlanders:

It was one of those sequestered spots outside the gates of the world where may be usually found more meditation than action...

This reminded me of the wonderful links between language, creativity and inspiration. A friend of mine was particularly struck by one of the quotes on my website from E.M. Forster:

We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us

My friend realised on reading this that she had been holding off on aspects of her life because she was waiting for things to go according to the plan.

When we think of 'self help' we usually think of gurus and programmes and expert advice. But personal inspiration and development has its moments in all areas of life and culture. For me, nature is a rich source of self help, from finding those spots described by Hardy as 'outside the gates of the world' to hearing the blackbirds start to sing at this time of year, a sound that instantly evokes a feeling of Spring and warmer days around the corner.

And great authors seem to sum up self help issues so well:

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff - William Shakespeare

self help ibooks

I'm excited about the announcement of both the ipad and the new ibooks store which Apple launched last week. I had a quick look into how easy it might be for smaller publishers and independent authors to sell ebooks through ibooks and the good news is that Epub will be the standard format for the ibooks store. This isn't as simple as creating a pdf but most designers will be able to create an Epub format as it's a function of Adobe InDesign. I'm also looking into the various Epub converter software programmes available to see which is easiest for the self publisher.

And as a self help publisher I'm even more excited by the ipad/ibooks announcement because of the multimedia opportunities these now present. For me, a novel is purely about words and my own imagination but when it comes to 'how to' books - from cookery to diet to meditation - the thought of producing books that can also integrate audio and visual content creates a new range of possibilities. I can't wait.

Lessons in Love

Yes, I am excited about the Apple ipad launched yesterday, but a piece of news that properly warmed my heart was about a programme at a London primary school - Forestdale in Croydon - that teaches the children through practical exercises all about honesty, love, responsibility, enthusiasm and collaboration. Apparently it's had a very positive effect on behaviour and of course these values are core throughout our lives. It's simple but very clever of the school to create such a programme, where the children are encouraged to demonstrate the values each week and look out for fellow classmates doing the same. I'd love to see something similar as part of a team building course.

Just a Minute

I'm sure I only remember the times that I am right but this year I will voice any ideas I have about health or self-help trends. Let's see in a year whether any of them are on the right track!

I am very interested in meditation right now. As I myself am just a beginner I am finding out more at Inner Space in Covent Garden. This led me to find http://www.just-a-minute.org/experience.htm - a site where you can listen to minute long meditations. A good place to start!

The other day a lady led us through a very quick relaxation meditation where we imagined a garden, and there was water of some sort and it was lovely and peaceful with just the sounds of the water and birdsong. Well, I was transported to a very beautiful place within my mind. It was a wonderfully relaxing few minutes, and I felt the benefits for the rest of the day. It's a long way from meditation where you completely clear your mind, but definitely worthwhile.

On a separate note I'm looking forward to seeing Sally Bee's book The Secret Ingredient, due out in a couple of days. Sally Bee is a fantastic example of someone who has self published with real success and has since been picked up by a major publisher, Collins. Sally's story is well worth checking out http://www.sally-bee.com/ - she has turned the major personal challenge of suffering three heart attacks in her thirties into a brilliant way to help others. 

Appreciation

This time of year is a wonderful opportunity to think about the positive changes we want to make in our lives, but as I was reminded yesterday it's also a time to appreciate what is right in our lives.