Sort, Delete, and Unsubscribe – and Uncover what’s really Important

So – I came back from being out of the office for two days, and found that I had 90 emails in my inbox.  Now – some of you might think that is a lot – and some of you might think that is nothing compared to what you get – but it really caused me to stop and think. Partly because I had just recently come back from a 11 day vacation (being out 7 business days) and I came back to 381 emails.  And also because I knew that most of my co-workers knew I would be out those two days and wouldn’t be sending me emails.

SO – I took a really close look at those 90 emails to see what they comprised.  And with just a few exceptions, they were either : daily news, newsletter/updates from sites I was subscribed to, or emails from marketers who ultimately want me to buy something. Several months back, in one of my personal emails (which I call my “shopping” email – I use it to register on sites I shop at), I had looked at the ridiculous volume of email I was getting – often as much as 100 emails a day – all legitimate marketing emails from these shopping sites – and I started to par down. To Unsubscribe. It’s something we can sometimes forget we can do – opt out of this craziness.  I have some sites that literally were sending me more than one email a day! How crazy/pushy/obnoxious is that!  So I pared back a lot. (and will probably do so again in the near future.)  Having done this with my personal email, I realized I really should be doing the same in my work email.

I have previously posted on setting up Rules and Filters for your Inbox, so that stuff you can read like newsletters is separated out from your important work email. But looking at my 90 email inbox – I realized I needed to do some more filtering, And I unsubscribed from 10 different vendors, whom I had previously downloaded a white paper from but whose subsequent emails had been non-informative in a greater sense, but more “here is my new product – buy it”.

I have come up with a new rule about vendors which is Not to opt into any more email newsletters.  Marketing through email newsletters has increasingly become less and less useful to me, as an end-user, and the sheer volume produced by many vendors has turned me off on them.  What does work: vendors with effective blogs.  I watched a webinar the other week on Marketingprofs.com where Mack Collier, a social media consultant, trainer and speaker, talked about what makes an effective company blog.  He mentioned companies that had blogs that were useful to their customers, like Patagonia with their “The Cleanest Line” blog  which talks about environmental activism and carbon footprint – things that may be interests of a lot of their customers.  He said the point was not to have a blog that was pushing your products.  The point was to create a useful destination giving your customers a great reason to consistently visit your site, and through providing useful information, to also build trust in your brand. As I scoped out my inbox, I kept this usefulness concept in mind – and that determined who made the cut and who I unsubscribed from.

How well did I do at cleaning out my Inbox? So well that, when I came in this morning, I thought that there was something wrong with my email server – That my inbox couldn’t be “that empty” on a Monday Morning!  I even sent myself a test email from my other account to make sure the servers where working!  And then it hit me – the Rules were in effect.  And this “small” amount I was seeing was my REAL email.

For those of you who feel overwhelmed with a huge inbox – this is to encourage you to invest the time and set up rules and filters and unsubscribe from vendors who are sending you more clutter and noise.  It may take a few passes to get yourself optimized, but the end result is that if you are staring at 10 emails you need to deal with – you won’t feel as stressed or overwhelmed as staring at an inbox with 100 emails – in which 10 actually important ones are hidden in the noise.

Cooking Healthy is Easier than you Think

I’m sure you’ve heard the latest in Food Advice.  Stop eating processed foods – Chemicals are bad for you. Eat real food. Eat Organic. Eat whole grains. Whether it is Jillian Michaels telling us how to Master our Metabolism or Jamie Oliver trying to get a small town in West Virgina to eat healthy (and stop eating pizza for breakfast), Healthy is the current food trend. Which means NOT eating pre-packaged food – or eating take-out every night. But more and more I find that the people I know have no idea how to cook – or where to start. And if you are going to follow this current trend, and eat healthier (which I am a total proponent of) then the food gurus out there need to do more than just supply recipes.  They really need to address this at the most basic level.

Jamie Oliver does get this – his new show “Food Revolution” has him in Huntington, WV, teaching everyone how to cook from scratch. He recently won the TED award, and his prize money is going towards attacking the health crises of obesity – and teaching people how to cook healthy and eat healthy is a cornerstone of achieving this goal.

Since we all can’t pop down to West Virgina to get a cooking class from Jamie, though, what can we do?  As I mentioned previously, a small step towards eating better is to ease out of them a little at a time. (Thus – instead of take-out Indian food – try making Indian at home with fresh meat and rice – and jarred sauce). As you ease into cooking a little, and make it a habit, it will be easier to cook more.  And Read Labels. That is really key.  I was in Whole Foods a few weeks ago looking at organic Peanut Butter.  There were like six different kinds.  And the ingredient list on the jars varied from two ingredients to ten. Less ingredients is better. (In this case, the Peanuts and Salt was the jar to choose). If you can’t pronounce the ingredient listed  – think twice about it.  I know a lot of recipes are intimidating because of the number of ingredients and steps required. Here are three “starter” things to try cooking that even those who are afraid of the kitchen will hopefully be able to give a shot:

Mustard Chicken and Orzo

Orzo is pasta that looks like rice. And it cooks quick.  Boil water. Add in a cup of Orzo. Boil 7-8 minutes (check th package for cook time). Drain when done. While the orzo is boiling, you cook the chicken. If you are up to chopping up chicken breasts, then cube up two breasts in bite size pieces. If that is a step beyond you at this point – buy some pre-cooked chicken pieces at the market (But look closely at what you buy – there are four or five companies that sell the pre-cooked chicken for salads, etc.  But the amount of salt and chemicals varies widely from brand to brand. Read your ingredient list!) Heat a skillet on medium heat. If you are cooking from fresh chicken, toss a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pan first, and cook and stir for about 5 minutes, till the pieces are no longer pink inside. (you can tell by breaking a piece up with a spatula). If using the pre-cooked chicken, just toss in the pan.  Add into the chicken 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite mustard. (This is a great recipe for trying out interesting flavored mustards, like brown ginger or spicy horseradish – Raye’s mustards from Maine are a fav of mine).  Stir in and cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Serve over orzo.

Couscous and Chicken

Couscous is one of those stupid proof foods. It is impossible to screw up. This is because it “passively” cooks – you basically get the water to boiling, turn it off – add the couscous, put the cover on the pot – and five minutes later – Tada! And it is a 1-to-1 ratio – one cup couscous to one cup water.  To jazz the couscous up for this recipe, right before you turn off the heat, toss into the water a half cup of raisins (currents or chopped dried apricots will work as well) and a quarter cup of sliced almonds. When you toss the couscous in, stir together before covering the pan with the lid. While the couscous is sitting and doing its thing, do up the chicken the same way you did in the Orzo recipe (cooking it until no longer pink if starting from fresh, just tossing it in the pan if pre-cooked).  Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite greek or italian salad dressing. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes. serve over couscous.

Pasta with Clams or Mussels

Boil water for pasta. Add in a cup (or two handfuls, if you are like me and don’t like to measure) of small shell dried pasta. While this is cooking (usually 6-8 minutes – the box will tell you)- grab a big broccoli stalk. (If your market sells broccoli crowns, buy that, since that top part is all you need here).  Break up the broccoli top into little pieces – by hand or chop it. When the pasta is half way through, toss the broccoli in with the pasta.  When done, drain together in strainer.  In  a large skillet, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil (drizzle once around the pan) over a medium heat. Toss in some red chili pepper flakes (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon – depending on how much you like heat) and a tablespoon or garlic. (If you hate dealing with peeling garlic – many stores sell it pre-peeled or pre-chopped).  Stir in the pan for about two minutes.  Add 1 lb of clams or mussels (or both – your preference – be sure you have rinsed them first so there is no grit on the shells) and a 1 1/2 cups of white wine. (If you don’t do wine – sub in chicken broth).  Cook about 5 minutes – basically until all the shells open.  (Toss any shellfish that don’t open up).

In a bowl, toss in the pasta/broccoli mix and add in the shell-fish and the cooking liquid from the pan.  Toss and serve.

Whether you cook a lot or never cook – these are three simple and fast recipes to throw together at the end of a long day  – so give them a try!

Why can’t we Relax?

I see it all the time on the train.  It flows off people like waves on the beach. Just a constant refrain of tension and stress.  Sometimes coming into the city can be like taking a bath in it.  So even if you are calm and serene when you head out the door – by the time you get to work, you may have absorbed everyone elses free-floating anxieties, and now you are a wreck yourself.

How did we get that way?  I don’t remember it being this bad several decades ago – I have always lived in our near a major city, and I know that back then, I didn’t feel this constant hum of stress like I do today.  I even see it abroad – when I first went to London, more than 10 years ago, I loved the vibe I got from the city. But on this most recent trip, I can feel that there has been a subtle shift, a change to the rhythm and voice of the city.

Is ir technology?  Is that what has stretched us thin? The burden of being, for many of us, on call to our companies 24/7 – whether they demand it or not?  The silent leash of the work pda slung round our neck and dragging us down.

Is it the fear of terrorism? The culture of fear that has grown up since 9/11, government telling us there is a boogie man  hiding around every corner (and he want to blow you up – with his shoes! or his underwear!) In London, they have the modern-day Orwellian reality of cameras watching you everywhere.  Here we have politicians who convince us we need to give up our core freedoms in the Constitution if we want to be “safe”.

Is it the media?  The ever-present pressure of a picture presented to us of the “perfect life”  and our not being able to live up to that? We all need to be rich and thin - even if striving for that leads us instead to being in debt and obese.

With all these things at play – with the stimulus overload – it is no wonder that so many of us are a wreck. That so many of us are depressed.  And that, because our culture has become one of the “quick fix” – that so many of us are medicated for these problems.  But medicating is just a band-aid. It only covers things up. It doesn’t fix things.

To fix things – we need to create the space for ourselves to relax. To block out the external stimulus and to go within. And to let our minds stop “working overtime” in the “monkey-mind” mode and to free up the space for the silence within. So – here are a few things to try to carve out the inner s;pace again:

• Your iPod/mp3 player – plugging into the music on the train is a great way to start work towards meditative moments. Find the music that is going to be relaxing for you – or cathartic. Something that takes you to another space.  As a next step, try listening at home for a while – and wear a sleep mask or a bandana over your eyes.  It blocks out more stimulus and lets you go deeper within.
• Mediation Walks – there is a reason that people walk labyrinths and meditation circles (like the one at Grace Cathedral in SF.) Walking is a great way to mediate. It helps to find a place where it is safe to walk for some time without running into something (like a car!) Try to find a beach, a park, a trail – something where you could walk a mile without interruption. Then give yourself over to the rhythm of the movement and your breathing.
• Swim – being in the water is a great way to block out external distraction, and the repetition of doing laps, just traveling back and forth, makes for great meditation.
• Yoga and meditation – and then there are these great practices.  Yoga has exploded and there are so many resources available to everyone now, whether it is classes locally, books, dvds, or You Tube video. You can do it alone or seek the support of a group or class to help get you there.

No matter what method you try – the important thing is to take the step to try to cut through the stress in your life, to carve out the inner space of quiet and solitude, the place where you can relax and be calm and in the clarity of that space, see things you can do to change your life for the better.

Leaving your Blackberry at Home while on Vacation

I have just come home from a ten-day vacation to the U.K. I didn’t take my work-issued Blackberry with me.  And I actually didn’t think about work while I was away – I just enjoyed the moment and relaxed.

There was definitely a time when I would never have even considered going that long without it.  The usual thoughts occur: An emergency will come up. Work can’t get along without me. What will they do if they can’t get a hold of me? And the worst thought of all “I’m indispensible“.

Guess what – even if you are “indispensible” – you are not.  Many is the company that has gotten rid of “indispensible” people.  Of course, the company may have suffered some when they did – but that doesn’t stop them from letting you go.  Being “indispensible” these days is Not a guarantee of keeping your job. Instead, it is a prisoner mentality.  You are locked into your job to define your self-worth.  Remember – your job is a part of your life – but it is not your whole life.  And your company is not going to watch out for you first – you need to do that for yourself.

Part of looking out for yourself is being able to go away from work and relax and rejuvenate.  Clearing your mind of work also allows you to return with a fresh and uncluttered perspective and with renewed energy.  But you can’t do that if you take work with you on vacation.

There is a reason it is nicknamed the “CrackBerry”. The compulsion to constantly check your email is a true addiction. Don’t try to go cold turkey – start by putting it in a drawer over the weekend. Do not check it – you will feel the urge, the twitch – almost like phantom limb syndrome, it will feel like a body part is missing. But don’t give in.  You need to work at it to wean yourself off of it.  The next step is taking a long weekend away without it.  Then eventually you can work up to leaving it behind on that week-long vacation.

I’ve heard colleagues say that they can’t be out of email contact because their staff can’t get along without them.  Well – frankly if you are a Manager and your staff can’t get anything done in your absence, then there are only two possibilities – they are a bad staff or you are an ineffective Manager. And it’s most likely the later. But you can work to change that.  Effective delegation is the key.

It’s not like you will be dropping off the face of the earth. Designate one trusted employee or co-worker with your personal cell phone info or your itinerary, so that if an actual emergency occurs – you can be reached.  Just be clear on the terms of what actually constitutes an emergency.

Breaking the Blackberry addiction is decidedly something that swill take time – but the reward at the end, of truly relaxing and enjoying your time away from work, is totally worth it.

How to eat more vegatables….and like it

I was definitely not in love with vegetables when I was a kid. Not that my Mom didn’t make sure there was a veg served at practically every meal. I just wasn’t fond of them…and luckily my pet dogs, Mimi and Duke, were more than happy to pick up the slack. Corn, peas, and carrots…and maybe a little broccoli. That was about all I could stand.

I thought I would basically grow old not liking most vegetables, until I tripped over a few “revelation” moments as an adult.  The first was over zucchini. I hated it – my mother usually served it steamed, sometimes with some stewed tomatoes (even worse!) But then, one day at lunchtime, I went with my co-workers and had lunch at a burger place nearby and stumbled across the food of the gods – Fried Zucchini - Served with Ranch Dressing.  I could not believe it was the same vegetable! The texture was totally different – not the mushy stuff I remembered – and it tasted awesome.

A second huge revelation came at my introduction to the Plum Tomato.  All my childhood, family members tried to force me to eat tomatoes – they practically called me crazy for not liking them. In salads, in spaghetti, fresh out of the garden – they were always pushing me to eat them.  And I HATED them – I thought they were slimy and gross. But I lived in California – and when I was growing up, when you went to the store there was only one kind of tomato.  I had never seen a plum tomato.  Then came the day….where I ate something with a tomato in it to impress a boy.  He bought me a Gyro on the Boardwalk at Atlantic City, and I ate it – and it wasn’t bad. On our first Thanksgiving together, he made me his special recipe for Bruschetta.  And I loved it. And that was when the revelation hit – he was using Roma tomatoes – and he de-seeded them. The tomatoes of my youth were 98% seeds and slimy insides, 2% skin.  But plum tomatoes are like 20% seed and slimy insides, 80% skin. So it wasn’t tomatoes I really hated – it was the texture of the insides.

Things started to click from there. It was clear that my liking of most vegetables was tied to what my palate considered “good” or “bad” textures.  And so, I have come up with a few handy rules for cooking and eating vegatables:

• Everything tastes better Fried (think zucchini, mushrooms, tempura…oh and pickles)
• Everything also tastes great Roasted (potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, winter squash – pick up the Cook’s Bible for the best recipe)
• Everything also tastes better Grilled – especially if it has a seedy texture (like the tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash) – Emeril has a great recipe for a ratatouille using grilled vegetables.
• Everything tastes better with dip! There is a reason you always see that plate of vegetables with a dish of blue cheese or ranch dressing.
• And – if there is some vegetable you hated as a kid – give it a second chance. Find a recipe that is as far as possible from how you were made to eat it as a child, and give it a second chance!