To be honest I have been a little hesitant to write this blog, but have decided to jump in with both feet and go for it. The reason for my hesitancy is that I am aware that our greatest strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses. This blog entry may irritate some, not help others – and be of little interest to anyone who does not fit into these first two categories! But on the off-chance that there is someone out there who might benefit I shall press on…
In fact… before we do… I actually sought some feedback from some trusted advisers before I published. One said words to this effect “You are right not everybody will think this is useful to them, but it probably is and it would be good for them to read and apply! I commend you for thinking outside the box and pastoring in a ‘non obvious’ way because even if it benefits one person (which it will cos at least I have read it!) then it is worth it.”
My name is Robin, and I am organised. (Cue the ‘people in the room’ clapping my bravery). I have to be. I have learnt to be. I am still learning. If I was not organised or eager to be organised, then I do not think I would live out the encouragement to “number my days, and get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). If I was not organised, then I do not think I would live to the max “the calling to which I have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). If I was not organised, then I do not think I would live in a manner that “pleases my commanding officer” (2 Timothy 2:4) or resembles “the disciplined athlete” (2 Timothy 2:5) or “the hard-working farmer” (2 Timothy 2:6). If I was not organised, then I would probably frustrate my wife, children and the church that I want to serve (although sometimes being overly-organised can also frustrate them as well! As I said, every strength is a potential weakness).
BUT I do know this…
Life is busy. Life is full. Life happens. Time never stops. A slower day is never coming. Therefore, I have to set in place boundaries or ‘rules’ to live by. Otherwise I easily get swamped, distracted or drown in an overwhelming amount of stuff. Living like this is a discipline, a learned skill. I do not claim to be the best at it, but I also know I am pretty efficient! One area that requires ruthless efficiency is managing email. Here are some thoughts and tips.
OPTION ONE: Don’t have an email – stop pretending. BUT if I am honest I am not sure that this is a particularly helpful approach. This is the culture we are born into it. This is our mission field. We do not need to be a slave to our culture, technology and trends… but by ignoring them we have the risk of ignoring the world that uses and relies on them.
OPTION TWO: Use them as a tool. Manage your email. Does your inbox get so full that you actually avoid opening it? Do you get important emails that you ignore, or that are lost in a sea of unwanted, unread, unnecessary emails? Here is my tip. Email, like all technology is a tool. Get a grip of your inbox. Otherwise, you might as well go for option one – after all, what is the point of an email you don’t read or an inbox you don’t open??!! Would anyone have a letterbox that delivers direct to a bin?
View email as though it were a physical letterbox. Deal with your post. Read it, action it, file it or bin it. Don’t just leave all the junk and all the important stuff piled up in some electronic mountain! Here are my tips:
- Ruthlessly unsubscribe* from everything that is not linked to your day-to-day real life
- Only subscribe to blogs, companies, newsletters that you actually read and are useful
- Create appropriately named folders and file everything – I mean everything!
- Reduce your inbox to nothing or a maximum of 10 emails at a time
- Have a method for filing emails that require action, but keep your inbox clear
- Never have unread emails in your inbox for more than 24 hours (unless you are on holiday)
*All those companies who email you (Amazon, BT, Trip Advisor etc.) have a little box of small print at the bottom of their emails with a link called UNSUBSCRIBE. Click on it and it will change your life! It will help you make better use of your time, maximise the emails that matter – by reading them and applying them – and you may feel a burden lift.
