You know how after a long vacation, you always return home to a big pile of snail mail and a bunch of newspapers? Navigating life is like that.
Sometimes, there is even a mess or two to clean up. And who wants to come home and deal with all that?
Don’t let this jolt you back to the reality of your everyday life. You can still savor that rest, relaxation, and recharging you were able to do while you were gone.
And yes, that big pile of mail can help you do it. Here’s how…
By the way, this post was inspired by my virtual friend, Josh Braun. He’s a sales coach and trainer who posts great tips and strategies on LinkedIn. He specializes in cold calling and emailing of all things.
That’s not my cup of tea… clearly not for me (which is sort of the point, as you will see in a moment). But I still learn a lot from Josh.
A while back, he posted a piece about how he sorts his mail after he returns from travel. It was a great productivity tip because he explained how he sorts through 40 pieces of mail in less than a minute!
He makes it part of his returning home ritual!
Here’s his first step…
I sort my mail into two piles: junk and interesting. Junk mail goes into the recycling bin. Interesting mail stays on the counter.”
That’s the first parallel to life we can learn. When there’s just too much piling up, mentally sort all that overwhelm into two piles… Junk and Interesting.
If you tune into what’s for you versus what’s not for you, you can handle it just like you do the junk mail— simply IGNORE IT when it’s not for you!
And it’s easy to spot, right? Josh points out, “Junk mail always follows the same pattern.”
- 0% Interest!
- Lowest price ever!
- Free this or that!
Or whatever obnoxious message they dream up. The thing is… they all stand out. And because they stand out, they’re easy to spot.
So just like handling junk mail, when you see or hear the clues, train your defenses go up and move in the other direction… or simply ignore it.
As Josh says, “…into the recycling bin” it goes.
Keep in mind, at least 80% will be junk that’s not for you. It’s the same as most other shiny objects out there that are designed to distract us.
Moving to the interesting pile now…
What qualifies? The cool thing is— You get to decide. You set the criteria. You determine what IS for you.
Whatever is a good fit, that’s for you. It’s what you care about. It’s what matters. Nothing else.
In keeping with the mail metaphor, here are some possibilities…
- Your favorite magazine
- A letter from a friend
- A special celebration
- An invitation to a fun event
- A check you weren’t expecting
These are clearly some you’d be sorry to miss.
Are you ready for the serious part now? Imagine you are a piece of mail in that pile. Go ahead. Which one are you? Think about it for a moment…
It’s a powerful metaphor that puts who you are and what you might be in perspective.
Would you stand out? In a good way?
Nobody wants to be junk mail… Pushy. Cheesy. Hand extended. Fake. Manipulating. You get the idea.
What would you be?
- A friend
- Welcome
- Anticipated
- Trusted
- A surprise
- Fun
There are all kinds of mail in that pile. Which one do you want to be?
Whatever you choose, it sure beats the recycle bin!
People are a lot like sorting the mail… be one of the good kind… the kind others want to receive.
Be untucked.
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