This week I’m back with another episode of “Seana’s Sampler.” In no particular order, here are some findings, thoughts, and discoveries that are making me smile. I hope you’ll enjoy perusing this content and come away with something you like!
Seana’s Sampler
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Solution I’m Loving
School is getting underway, and most kids are toting items around in a backpack. These folders from Smead have tabs along the top of the folder, making it easier to find the one you need when looking down into a backpack. A great little item to start the school year off well.
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Habit I’m Forming
Have you ever sent an email and then immediately regretted it? I know I have! Sometimes I accidentally send the email before I have finished typing it. Other times the computer auto-populates the wrong email address when I start typing the name, but I don’t notice and send the email to the wrong recipient. It seems like I never see my mistakes until after I hit “send.”
To minimize errors, I’ve started typing the body of my emails first, and then entering the email address last. This way, I don’t send the email prematurely since it won’t send without a recipient. Additionally, by entering the “to” line last, I am focused on the name I am entering instead of thinking about what I want to say, which helps me focus on ensuring that I enter the proper address in the box.
Admittedly, this one is taking a while to get onto, but I think it is worth the effort.
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Ted Talk I’m Loving
I came across this Ted talk and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. If you tend to procrastinate, you will find this very relatable. I loved the drawings he shared. Sometimes it helps to be able to laugh at our struggles, right?
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Thought I’m Pondering
I love this quote because it offers a new way to consider life’s challenges.
I have noticed that when things aren’t working, we tend to bring in “more” to try and fix it. Sometimes that is a great idea, such as when we hire a professional to help fix a problem or buy a needed tool to complete a task. However, in some situations, the act of adding items, activities, belongings, and/or commitments accomplishes little more making us feel like failures.
For instance:
- We feel disorganized, so we purchase a bunch of containers and then pile them up in a corner of the room and never get around to sorting our belongings.
- We want to improve in an area of life so we invest in self-help books, but then we either don’t read them, or we read them and never act on their advice.
- We want to get in shape, so we buy a gym membership, but then we never go to the gym.
When we face a problem, it is worth considering if perhaps removing an item, obligation, thought, relationship, or something else might actually be the best course of action.
Worth a thought!
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Tip I’m Sharing
Having the tool you need close at hand can be the secret to taking care of tasks in a timely manner. One example is having a pair of scissors in your laundry area. Whether it is to snip a hanging thread or remove a plastic tag hanger, having a pair of scissors nearby is just a good idea.
If you have drawer space, simply tuck the scissors inside. If you don’t, hang a hook up high on the wall or on the side of a nearby cabinet to establish an easy storage location.
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Thanks for stopping by this latest sampler. Did any of these resonate with you?
Love the email tip and going to keep that in mind for the future as I have totally sent an email before I finished typing it all out. So, definitely a great tip to not put the email address in until I am ready.
I’ve done it, and once with sort of lousy consequences. Gotta get into this habit for sure!
What an awesome collection you sourced here, Seana! I just finished watching the procrastination TedTalk and it was great! I’m sure he’s right that we all procrastinate about something. I loved your great email trick about entering the recipient’s name last. I can see how that could take some getting used to as I tend to work a page from the top down. However, the upside is that you slow things down to double check that the message is correct and going to the right person. Love that!
I’m still smiling as I think about the procrastination talk. Tim is so descriptive and I loved his accompanying images too.
I’m still smiling about the talk too!! I loved his fresh take on the topic, and he is so relatable. I’m not a huge procrastinator, but I can still identify with this mindset he describes. The drawings really make it stick, right??
I have those Smead upright folders- big fan! And I like the tip about scissors. Good round-up, Seana 🙂
We love our Smead, right Sarah? Another school year on the horizon – may this one be smooth!!!
I love the quote and applied that principle very recently. I use the Todoist app and to manage my very extensive list of current and future tasks. Until recently, I had my tasks flagged according to their priority. A week or two ago, I removed all the priority flags because I realized they were causing me stress instead of helping me focus on what I was supposed to do at any given moment. It’s made a big difference!
Janet Barclay recently posted…Is it time to break up with your hosting service?
Wow, I love this example, Janet! Perfect instance of subtracting something that wasn’t helping. I tried the flags once as well, but I just ended up confusing myself LOL! Fresh thinking can sometimes make all the difference.
Definitely using the email trick -To minimize errors, I’ve started typing the body of my emails first, and then entering the email address last.
Loved the TED talk. I rarely take the time to listen to them and thought I’d just check it out and move on – saw the whole thing and loved it!
Thanks for all the tips!
That TED talk has really stuck with me – it was so worth a watch, even though I’m not a big procrastinator. I love people who are creative and can talk about serious things with humor!
Several items in your sampler appealed to me. The TedTalk was terrific. I love this fresh take on procrastination. I also like the quote about removing things to fix a problem. The examples you provided are truly apt. I also liked the idea of keeping a pair of scissors in the laundry. I can see putting a hook on the inside of a cupboard to keep them out of the way but accessible.
Love the idea of hanging the hook on the inside the cupboard. Then it can be handy and out of sight at the same time!
I will add my name to the club of those who send an email and then have regretted it. I love your tip and I’ve been doing this as well. I’ll write the email and after I proofread, I’ll then add the recipient.
Another tip, It’s one that my sister offered and it works! I’ll write an email. If it’s a longer email or one that I absolutely need the grammar and punctuation to be perfect, I’ll save it and come back to it later that day or the next day. In this way, I’ll see mistakes with a fresh eye.
Yep, having scissors in different rooms is a great hack! I always need a pair, no matter where I am.
Ronni Eisenberg recently posted…How to Have a Work-Life Balance for the Busy Mom’s Super Chaotic Life
That’s a great tip if you have the time. We rarely seem the mistakes “in the moment,” but maybe a few hours later they would stand out. This would also be wise when tempted to fire off an email in anger. Go ahead and write it, don’t enter the address, and then revisit after you’ve cooled down. Sort of meets the need to react without facing the consequences of having been impulsive, right?
Wow, the scissors one is awesome. We lose scissors around here and it’s weird. Where do they all go???? They need more designated, safe areas. And I love the email tip a LOT.
I usually follow blogs on Bloglovin but it didn’t show your posts for weeks. I’m so sorry. I figured you were on summer break. I missed a bunch and you may have noticed me playing catchup on my reading and commenting. I have now subscribed to your blog! No more missing tidbits.
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No idea why I’m not showing up on Bloglovin? I follow you there as well. You are sweet to go back and catch up with so many comments!!
These are great, Seana! I love the backpack folders. I found plastic ones that helped my kids when they were in high school. It helped manage all the papers. They rarely used their lockers, so they carried everything with them, so these really helped manage the backpack clutter.
Same with my kids on the lockers. They were never conveniently placed, so they just carried it all around with them. I love the tabs on top. They work well for home files stored in a magazine file box as well!
To answer your final question, everything you shared resonated with me. I love all the tips and ideas. I’m totally going to use the one about not entering the email recipient until I’ve composed my message. Brilliant. These types of posts are so fun because the reader always discovers new and wonderful things they can enjoy in their own life. Thanks for sharing.
I love to pop around these kind of posts on other people’s sights for the same reason- just fun!
Oh, that email tip is fantastic! And Ronni’s idea about waiting til the next day to send is fabulous too. This is going to change everything!
I enjoy Tim Urban’s Wait But Why blog posts, and now I’m looking forward to watching the TED talk.
Great round up!
Lucy Kelly recently posted…Who can help you get to the next level?
I really enjoyed the TED talk, and I hope you do too, Lucy. 🙂
Oooh, we are in sync! I have a habit of hitting “reply” in anger or consternation, and I’ve learned to immediately delete the “to” line before getting my “grrrr” going to make sure I’ve written everything, walked away, edited, toned it down, and am satisfied before putting the name back. I do it less for mis-sending than for sending before I’ve cooled down, but it amounts to the same thing.
I’m also a HUGE fan of the Smead Organized Up (backpack) folders, and was always amazed that it took so many decades before anyone thought to make vertical file folders. The Tim Urban TEDTalk is great; we had a session on it a few years ago at conference and I never miss rewatching it. Great pick!
I absolutely love your samplers. Keep them coming!
Julie Bestry recently posted…Protect and Organize Your COVID Vaccination Card
The backpack folders were sort of a “duh” for me as well. So smart. I spent my educational years pulling out folders or writing along the top so I could see what was what. I’m with you on the cool down period for the emails. If I don’t enter the address, then I can fire away, save the draft, and come back later without concern about “pre-sending.” 🙂
I can relate to your tip about keeping needed tools close at hand. I keep scissors in the glove compartment of my car. You never know when you might need to open a new package there’s something. They were most useful when my kids were small.
Wow, great tip, Janet! Never thought of that, but you are so right. Sometimes on the road you just need a pair of scissors.
I loved the Ted talk. I do tend to procrastinate on some things. I also love the idea of putting in the address last. I never thought of that but it would help to avoid some serious mistakes.
That TED talk was really great, wasn’t it Dianne? Sticking with me days later…
That email tip is a GREAT idea!!!
That one has been learned by making mistakes LOL!