I’ve been so guilty of this lately. I got into this horrid mindset that I didn’t want to miss anything. Can’t miss out on the latest and greatest so-and-so released. YES, I CAN!

This isn’t close to the first time I’ve had to do major inbox weeding. I won’t kid myself that it will be the last. The realization always hits when I take time away from the computer. When checking emails after a couple of days and there are hundreds to sort through. Out of all of them I may possibly want to glance at 20-30. Out of those 20-30 (depending on any launches or projects I have going) I may actually need to respond to 10.

I just had to sign up for these lists to stay in the know. Yet, I find myself not opening them. Ding, ding, it’s unsubscribe time. Especially right now as I streamline a ton and vow not to spend more. If I don’t get the email with the new product or service then I’m not tempted to buy it. Temptation gone.

Now here’s the kicker. If a product launched and I will really benefit from it, then odds are it will be there a few months down the road as well. The price may not be introductory low anymore, but I’m not afraid to send an email and ask about any specials they may have. By waiting I’m also in a position to pay that higher price and not worry about it. I’ll be ready to use the product or service immediately and not have it sit on my computer as well. Many times I’ll find that I don’t actually need the product I thought I had to have. So waiting a few months can save me wasted money as well. If the product is as great as the emails would have claimed, then I’ll hear about it from my networking groups and won’t have to worry about not being on the newsletter list.

The inbox took a drastic hit on Sunday and I hope all the lists will be ok without me. lol I may be back if I miss the contact or you just might entice me to sign up again. But taking the time to delete so many unopened emails each day is a mental drag. It doesn’t matter that it only takes a minute to go through them all. It stinks to check emails and have to many that are a waste of time. I’m not done getting rid of lists by any means. But over the next month I will click the unsubscribe link on many emails instead of just deleting them.

Now to focus on checking my email only a few times a day. This will be a much more difficult task. lol

The funny thing is the first night my husband asked if I’d brought the laptop in from the truck. He gave me a very odd look when I said I left it at home. I’m not sure if he was worried I’d lost my mind or if it was because now he couldn’t use it either. He was ok, he has a Droid and can still google info during jeopardy. lol

Instead of the computer I went old school to pen and paper. I took 5 notebooks, some of them with ideas and bits of ideas from over the last few years. On the trip over I barely got anything done, but different story the rest of the time. With my new sleep schedule I’m up before everyone else without having to set my alarm. I wrote a minimum of 2 articles/blog posts each morning while drinking my coffee and enjoying the quiet. On the way home I was much more productive, finishing up 3 more articles and getting some reports read and notes made.

I’ve always been a big notebook user, sadly a lot of my stuff doesn’t make it out of the notebooks or is half done. I took this time to finish up some of those ideas and actually used up the rest of the paper in 3 of the notebooks. Today I’m busy getting everything off those pages and on to the computer. Finishing up so many articles and writing about ideas that have been wasting away was a huge accomplishment. I have felt so good about business in the last couple of weeks and this just capped it.

I’ve thought recently that I need to take a couple of days to myself and go to my friends cabin. Being this productive offine is solidifying that thought. If I took 2 whole days of no computer and no family distractions, I could get some incredible things finished up.

Unplugging got me excited about projects again. Actually, I guess you could say it brought the passion back. I am good at what I do. However, trudging through day after day and not revisiting incredible ideas I’ve had for sites and articles led me to forget that.

Getting back online was very different this weekend. Prioritizing is changing and I’m returning to some better habits. For one thing, some major cleaning has happened in my inbox. More about that tomorrow!

We used to try and get away at least once a year without the kids for a weekend. But now that the kids are getting older we are finding the need to runaway at least twice a year. I can tell at this moment that it’s been over 6 months since we got away. Since our kids are older, they don’t miss us as much when we get away. But we sure love the time away from reality more than we ever have. So many responsibilities we have now, so much running around, just the norm.

Last time we went to Santa Monica and I am having reoccurring dreams of going back. It was like we were teens again because we had no plans, only a hotel room for a couple of days and plane tickets for an 8 day stay. It’s time for a trip again that is for sure and it’s also time to plan out a few more. I don’t like waiting for the feeling that we need a trip and then planning it. Hubby will be bidding for his days off for next year in October, so time to grab a 2010 calendar and see what I would like to try for as well.

Vacations do not have to be elaborate productions that take a lot of money. Just getting away from the computer for a weekend, no matter how difficult to do, will go a long way to rejuvenating your work efforts. But do plan your time away from the computer every few months. I’ve set time to go and play with family and I won’t even check my emails. This helps me get on track and moving stronger on Monday when I log back in.

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I realize that I am blurring between the helping people and things that I should be charging for because it’s coaching. I think this is because I do not have coaching packages available yet for people to choose from. That has to be a big focus after I get back. Putting together the packages and the info that comes with the packages.

As it is, I’m also starting to get ready for travel. I have nothing. lol Hubby and I have talked about how little we will take and just go shopping down there, but I still have to go pick out some hot camis to go under the cute shirts I bought at Plato’s Closet the other week with my daughter. I’m also behind on my purchases that can’t be made my now. Darn it, I should have started a list so I could cross it off. Oh well, I’m running away with my hubby for 8 days and nothing else matters!

This is coming to light because of a forum I’m on Fire Wives. We were talking about the fact that the hubby’s need to decompress because of all they deal with on a daily basis. I know that getting away from it all is a must for hubby and I can tell he’s in need again because he’s getting a little snappy and he’s Mr. Patience. Believe me, I take up a lot of people’s patience.

But then it also dawned on me that I too need a vacation from it all. Personal training is emotional work and it’s just about 24/7. I’m in constant contact with many clients and even a few past clients, just because I honestly care about them keeping their routine. I hear about all their daily struggles and especially all their negatives. It’s not generally positive issues that have gotten them to the point they need a trainer. Then add to that my online work and it’s no wonder why I go into a shut down every few months.

Hubby has his schedule for the entire year and I’m going to chat with him about planning things out. I’ve said it before, but this year HAS to be the year we get to Vegas. I’ve found some good deals at las vegas hotel reservations. So my new goal is twice a year we have to get away. One of those times has to be by ourselves. I do believe this is a goal that will be even more fun than others to follow through on. lol

But all I can think of is vacation and getting away with my hubby. We haven’t had a trip on our own in over a year and that is not normal. We’ve been really good about getting away, but with my school and then him getting hired on, it’s put an odd dent in our lives.

When on a call hubby was sent to Marshall’s for cleanup. He said there was a lot of great deals on luggage and it just got us talking about vacation. I need it, he needs it, our relationship always needs it. But I truly need to walk away from all things business for a few days and that includes all emails.

It’s ski/snowboard time right now so we won’t go off on our own for a couple of months. But we definitely will head out on or before our anniversary. Now to get to Marshall’s and grab some carry on’s. lol

Taking vacations with your spouse is important no matter how far away you can get. Even if it is camping in the backyard. We both need that connection. But also, the longer I work my own biz’s the more I realize that I have to step away. Unlike other work, I never leave this and go home. I have it with me at all times. It’s always on my mind.

I’ve gotten to the point right now that I realize some relationships are struggling because of it. I need to turn the laptop off more and pay closer attention to the people speaking to me in person. Vacations are good for that. Getting back to remembering that the money won’t matter at all without the relationships in my life.

It’s only a few weeks until we leave and I still haven’t gotten our passports. I’ve heard that at this time they aren’t required YET. But they will be soon and I may as well go and get them as soon as I can. The wait isn’t as long as projected. My brother got his and my nephews in about 2 weeks.

How are you going to work through your vacations? Are you planning ahead for it or just taking the time off and hoping to catch up?

But truly I should think about things like travel health insurance for how often we will be up there now. It’s under 4 hours to Whistler and the reserve is only about 2.5 hours away. Closer to go up there than it is to go to the other side of the state.

My laptop is going to come in very handy on these trips as I edit ebooks and ecourses on the road up there. I need to remember to buy a car charger for the laptop before all the summer trips get going.

But I know my husband has brought it to my attention many times, and I’m glad he has, that I’m always on the computer. It’s an addiction and I know it. There is just always something I can work on.

A week ago we went on a weekend away as a family. It was very difficult not to take my computer with me. I knew we wouldn’t have internet access but I can work on ebooks, autoresponders and just a ton of other stuff offline. I did that when we drove to the ocean and it worked well.

But I just had a feeling it wasn’t going to sit well this time and it wouldn’t have. I left the computer at home, even though I knew I would come back to 100′s of emails and 1000′s of spam to go through. It was totally worth it and refreshing to not think of business.

Now it’s time for hubby and I to go away for a couple of days. While he would be ok with me taking it with, i probably won’t. I do need to figure out where we want to stay, even narrowing down a city is difficult because there are so many cool little places in Washington within a 2 hour drive, let alone going 4. I have to hit cheap hotels and pick by who has the best deal’s. lol