What keeps you from working more effectively? Perhaps it's time to toss out some of the stuff and the time wasters that keep you from getting your work done on time. The suggestions I'm going to make will be applicable to writing and blogging, but they would be just as applicable on the job or at home. And since I sometimes feel like the King of Clutter, the Dean of Disorder, the Maestro of Messiness, and the Sultan of Workstation Salmagundi I am talking to myself as much as anyone else. Today I'm back to my E-mail box.
E-Stuff
In a previous post I discussed the problem of accumulated e-mail. Last month I went from a high email count of 1825 new emails to a low of 12 new emails. This was achieved through deletions and dispersal into files. I have been faithfully keeping this system while deleting and consolidating files as I have time. However, an old problem has resurfaced to throw a monkey wrench in the workings of the e-mail box. So here I am back over the 200 new email mark.
Now it's time to raise the old Shakespearian question first raised by Hamlet. "To Blogfest or not to Blogfest?" Just in time for this long weekend two blog events converged to bring about the perfect email storm. First there was KarenG's BBQ: a lot of you got suckered into this one and most of you probably added a lot more than the 20 new followers that I added. Sorry I couldn't resist joining in and I found several cool new blogs and several bloggers found Tossing It Out.
Then on top of that, there was the Trifecta staged by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Elana Johnson, and Jennifer Daiker which coincided with my related blog post of yesterday which meant more comments on my site and more blogs for me to investigate. As a consequence of all this I was inundated with hundreds--maybe thousands--of emails that I could barely screen and delete fast enough over the course of this extended weekend. Is it madness? Or is it just part of the blog growing and maintenance that all of us were talking about and striving for. Yes to all of the above.
At some point the Blog events have to be curtailed or tossed out. This said after having signed up for Alex's Top Ten TV Show Blogfest. Just one more! I swear it can become an addiction, but its a quick fix for getting more followers. In the future I may have to just close my eyes to all the blog fun and focus on doing what I need to do to control all of the E-stuff like festing, visiting, and trying to find new blogs. Perhaps lie fallow for a while and see how that works.
Did you participate in any of the above events this past weekend? How many followers did you add? Does being a part of a blog event play havoc with your time? What are your favorite blog events that you like to join in on?
If you missed any of the above events and would like to try to gain some followers, check out the above links and check out the comment sections of each blog.
I have signed up for Alex's tv blog later on this month, I did so enjoy your many challenges and sincerely hope you won't dismiss doing any more as I think they keep your brain active so boredom don't rear it's ugly head. I have tossed out personal items whilst doing a tidy up at my apartment.....and there's more to come with the bedroom and bathroom.
ReplyDeleteI always clear my emails before going to bed so they don't accumalate.
Have a good day.
Yvonne.
Yes, I participated in all of those! And stunned that I'm so close to 300 followers now, too. Glad you signed up for one last blogfest. Should be an easy one!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitelly joining Alex's new blogfest since I love TV, but I'm a bit afraid most of you have never heard of the shows I'll put in my list :)
ReplyDeleteI've seen that many bloggers have gained new followers through blogfests. That's lovely. I haven't myself, I usually get just some new comments in blogfests but not too many new followers. But I did meet you, Arlee, in one of the blogfests :)
I like to take part in polls, and I see others like that too, since polls over at my place always generate a huge number of new visitors.
I went to the BBQ, it is like a scent from heaven to a southerner, had to go. Glad I did, too! :D
ReplyDeleteI have also signed up for Alex's. This time I really know what a Blogfest is. lol
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
I didn't do any this weekend, but I am participating in Alex's blogfest.
ReplyDeleteRight now, my clutter has more to do with situations than physical objects. And yes, I'd like to toss most of them.
Yvonne -- I love the lists
ReplyDeleteand find them hard to resist.
Lately I haven't found time enough
to be tossing out very much stuff.
Alex -- You know I can't resist the lists ( hey I just said that to Yvonne). I'm now getting close to the 400 follower mark and getting fired up to reach that point by my 1 year blogoversary.
Dezmond -- Meeting new bloggers is the big plus of the blog events.
Jules -- I don't regret the BBQ, and though it did set me back timewise it gave me a nice boost in followers.
L. Diane -- I was planning to get into the kind of clutter you're talking about on today's post, but it got long enough with what I did and yesterday's post was way too long. I'll eventually get back to the mental and situational clutter.
I didn't sign up for anything this weekend. Screaming for my grandson's team and totally enjoying time with his son left no time for anything else.
ReplyDeleteFollowers may not grow that way but memories surely will.Mary
Great advice and help. Thank you. And thanks for the follow.
ReplyDeleteWhy hello there, thank you for popping over to i see you see, and following! you are my 20th follower! congratulations! I actually feel great that ive only been blogging for just shy of a month and id like to think im doing ok. I did have a lot!!!!! of help from jen over at unedited tho.
ReplyDeleteI havent as yet participated in any blog fests, however over the weekend i will more than likely be setting my own blog fest up.
I had a problem a while back with having far to many e-mails and it was all stupid rubbish like newsletters that i signed up for, and the such, so i took a drastic approach, set up a new e-mail account only keeping the contacts that i talk to who where real people and had talked to in the last say 6 months. left me with only 10 contacts, but a whole lot less deleting e-mails i never opened.
Hope that you're having a great week so far
serena
"sometimes feel like the King of Clutter, the Dean of Disorder, the Maestro of Messiness, and the Sultan of Workstation Salmagundi" - brilliant line Lee - I'm still chuckling. :)
ReplyDeleteThe house is pretty neat and orderly...but the office? Let's be glad the producer of Hoarders hasn't visited lately.
ReplyDeleteAlex's blogfest is the first one I've signed up for, admittedly. After several years hiding away in the Blogosphere underground, I'm finally dug my way to the surface and am finding all sorts of fun ways to enjoy blogs. I can't wait for the TV blogfest!
ReplyDeleteMary -- You are right there. Memories and family times are certainly more important than our blogging activities.
ReplyDeleteJared ---Glad for any help I can give and likewise for your visit and follow.
Serena -- I did an earlier email post as I mention here. My strategy was to sort emails into files if I didn't delete them right away. At least now I can look at them later--or delete them en masse.
Paula -- Thank you--glad you got a laugh from it.
Angie -- Sometimes I fear I might turn into one of those hoarders, but I've been trying hard not to be a future star of one of those episodes.
Jeffrey -- The lists of favorites are my favorite blogfests. Hope you have fun with it.
Hey Lee-- oh my goodness, I fall prey to SO many things like this... this post is SO incredibly true in my life. My biggest distraction (er, time waster) is surfing Facebook. Arghhhh.
ReplyDeleteSummer Ross at summersvoice.blogspot.com has a list of Blogfests. I'm using it to pick-and-choose instead of my previous strategy of jumping on whatever ones I hear about.
ReplyDeleteErin -- Good to see you here. Facebook was a real lure for me for a while too--it was a good way to see what my kids were up to. Now I rarely go there--I so tied up with the blogs.
ReplyDeleteWill-- I looked at Summer's list but the list didn't give much information as to what they were. I mainly like the list blog fests like what Alex is doing, rather than the writing sample ones. KarenG's BBQ was an easy one cause all you had to was visit blogs. I picked up over 20 new followers in just a few days and they seem like pretty good ones at that.
Hi Arlee,
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever done a blog event. I've thought of it several times but I feel as though it would be quite time consuming.
I have never completely shut the door on the idea. I still may give it a go someday!
Love Di ♥
I joined in on the BBQ which was an absolute blast, and I'm all about the trifecta!!! :) Thanks for giving such an amazing shout-out Arlee!!! I hope that we're making a difference and helping at least one blogger!!
ReplyDeleteDiana -- Blog events can be time consuming. However things like the BBQ and Follow Fridays just involve visiting other blogs. You can pick and choose which ones you want to communicate with and it's all a matter of how much you want to put into it. It's a good way of drawing people to your blog and discoverinng interesting new ones.
ReplyDeleteJen-- The BBQ was a last minute whim on my part and I'm glad I did it. I didn't go all out on it, but I did gain over 20 new followers. I didn't expect that. I couldn't help but point in the direction of the Trifecta since you all were talking about what I often discuss. I think bringing up these hints always is helpful to someone out there.
Am enjoying the Trifecta and looking forward to the balance of the posts. So...who let you in to take a picture of my desk? :)
ReplyDeleteKaren -- Are you telling me that your desk looks like mine? ;D
ReplyDeleteI love the title "Tossing it out" So many different ways to define this. Cute idea. Hopefully the clutter will leave.
ReplyDeleteLaura -- Thanks for the visit. The multiple meanings of my blog title is why I chose it. I posted about this in one of my earliest posts, but I think I will talk about this idea more on one of my blogoversary posts toward the end of the month.
ReplyDeleteLee-I haven't really heard about the blogfests, now you've given me something to check into! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJudy -- The blogfests can be great fun and great ways to find new blogs and gain new followers. They can also be a lot of work.
ReplyDelete