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Just published: Martha Treat #209
A New Beginning
For me, there is an excitement in the air as a new year approaches and especially this year as we enter a new decade. We get to start over in a way and move into the newness that is available as we are willing to let go of the past and step into the freedom of the present.
What prompted this Treat is observing recently with clients, the massive amounts of saved texts, notes, and reminders on phones. I love technology and at the same time digital vs. paper is not an invitation to start saving everything. Nothing keeps us more from the present moment than the saving of the past.
Our smartphones have become yet another way to hold onto stuff. The difference is, the stuff on our phone is neatly hidden from view making us think we are finished with it, unlike the old stacks of papers lying about that had our full attention.
It seems we may be forgetting the power of trails of incompletes following us around 24/7 draining our focus, clarity, and energy. We pretend they are finished, but are they?
Texts left behind are calling out for our attention just as the stacks of paper once did. "Please finish me, just don’t leave me here undone.” Keeping all the texts is like having thousands of pieces of paper laying all over your office not thrown out or filed. I sometimes say to those wanting to save every text, “imagine saving every communication of your whole life.”
As part of the Weekly Review, I ask clients to go through their texts to see if there are hidden incompletes and they are more than willing. But when I suggest deleting the texts, there is a great resistance. “Oh, but I might need them.” I remind them that after reading a text or email that has no action, you either delete it or file it in a file folder labeled what it is so you can reference it in seconds. With a text, it’s a bit more cumbersome as there is no filing system so by saving you delegate it to your brain to remember where it is. Therein lies the dilemma. If you need to save any part of a text message your only option is to cut and paste it into a reference A-Z system in an Evernote or Google docs etc. That way your brain can relax as it is not buried in a text stream.
Consider committing to greater clarity and freedom in 2020 and this new decade by finding and deleting all the dangling incompletes. They will thank you.
In my imagination, I can see them all cheering loudly, grateful for their freedom. And you will be cheering alongside them grateful for yours.
I am deeply grateful for all of you. Happy New Year!
Martha Invitations
1. Start where you are now and delete texts going forward. Once you experience the clarity of not saving you may be inspired to let go of the old ones saved.
2. Delete your texts as a part of your Weekly Review capturing any actions needing completion.
3. Celebrate all that you did in 2019 and thank yourself for the completing.
4. Get support in the completing. Consider the Freedom in Focused Doing Program for 2020
Martha
virginia@msia.org
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Read Previous Treats:
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2019
Treat #208 All Designed For Us
Treat #207 Reverence and Joy for Doing Treat #206 Choosing vs Auto Pilot Treat #205 Defaulting to the One-Track Focus Treat #204 Elegant and On Purpose Treat #203 The Fullness in Minimal Treat #202 The Real Culprit of Focus Drain Treat #201 Resting in Action Treat #200 Loving the Empty Spaces Treat #199 Putting Together All The Pieces Treat #198 Are you at the Top of your To Do List? |
2018
Treat #197 The Tiny Finishings
Treat #196 Emergency,Crisis,Fire Treat #195 Mastership Treat #194 It Works Every Time Treat #193 Let the Stuffing Be Gone Treat #192 Whole Focus Treat #191 The One Thing Not to Complete Treat #190 Just Keep It Flowing Treat #189 In Between Time Treat #188 What is Stealing Your Energy? Treat #187 To Skim or Not to Skim Treat #186 I Love January |
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2017
Treat #185 Both Hands Please
Treat #184 I'll Remember Treat #183 Creating New Doing Paths Treat #182 A Habit Worth Quitting Treat #181 Eclipse of Action Treat #180 Forgive Me for Multitasking Treat #179 What are You Looking At? Treat #178 Are you Squishing Snails? Treat #177 Relaxing the Grip Treat #176 All the Time in the World Treat #175 When is Enough . . . Enough Treat #174 Engaging Yourself to Completion |
2016
Treat #173 A Kink in the Works
Treat #172 What's Stopping You? Treat #171 All of Ours to Do Treat #170 Attitude Adjustment Treat #169 IN Consciousness Treat #168 Completing Past our Reactions Treat #167 Keep Your Dog Leash Treat #166 The Essential Piece Treat #165 Day is Done Treat #164 Do-Nothing Time Treat #163 Curbside Calm Treat #162 Pile-Up |
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2015:
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2014:
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Treat #161 Gentle Doing
Treat #160 Freedom in the Discipline Treat #159 Finding New Routes Treat #158 Keeping the Awe Alive Treat #157 "Finishiative" Treat #156 The Exquisite Sound of the Moment Treat #155 Up-to-the-minute Treat #154 Uninviting Interruptions Treat #153 What's bugging you Treat #152 Competing Attention Treat #151 Our Inner Awareness Treat #150 Spontaneously Fresh and Alive |
Treat #149 Without the Push
Treat #148 100% With... Treat #147 Are You Signaling? Treat #146 What is Pulling on Your Attention? Treat #145 Gathering Ourselves Out of Overwhelm Treat #144 Wonderings – Another Kind of Incomplete Treat #143 Asking – A New Form of Delegating Treat #142 Split Attention Payback Treat #141 Getting All the Way In To Doing Treat #140 Willingness to Look Treat #139 Follow Yourself Around Treat #138 A New Kind of Flow |
2013:
Treat #137 Well Done
Treat #136 Moving from all-at-once to one-at-a-time
Treat #135 All the Way Through to Completion
Treat #134 Out of Control Into Freedom
Treat #133 The Present Processor
Treat #136 Moving from all-at-once to one-at-a-time
Treat #135 All the Way Through to Completion
Treat #134 Out of Control Into Freedom
Treat #133 The Present Processor