Are You Too Busy to Be Productive?

This post was updated 2023.

It used to be that when you saw a friend and asked, "How are you doing?" the reply would be "Fine."  Maybe "Great." Things are different now.  A more common response to "How are you doing?" these days is:  "Busy."

I'm interested in this because one of the most common {memory-keeping myths} I find myself having to bust is: "I don't have time for my pictures and my memories.  I'm too busy."  

I have seen a big culture shift in the 14 years I've been a memory-keeping consultant.  Most people I meet seem to be busy and overwhelmed, and--oddly--they seem to hold onto it for dear life, as if being in high demand (or busy) makes them important.  

Sadly, over the past 14 years, I have seen an increase in general busyness, a change in priorities and attitudes, and a decrease in connections with loved ones and actually being in touch with our own hearts.

As I started looking into busyness, time management, productivity (and whatever other catch phrase you know of that fits) as a way to help my clients and potential clients out of the "I don't have time" hole, I came across a lot of insightful and helpful articles and ideas.  

I began collecting them, so to speak--and you can find them at the {"don't have time?" tab} at the top of this blog.

"BUSY IS THE NEW STUPID"

One of the first articles I came across was on LinkedIn, and it's called {"Busy is the New Stupid"}.  I was taken aback by the title, so of course I had to read it.  The author, Ed Baldwin, says that as a society we have come to glorify busyness, as if that makes us more valuable or important.  He proposes that most of us waste a lot of time, aren't engaged in anything fully because we try to multi-task, and have become more short-sighted.  Baldwin states that busyness increases careless mistakes and results in more missed opportunities.  He says we treat busy as if it's cool, but busy is actually stupid.  Then he shares a quote that hits most of us close to home:

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable."  -Sydney J. Harris

Baldwin recommends that instead of saying, "I'm too busy for ________," we change our verbiage to, "________ is not a priority for me."  That can apply to everything from "My pictures and memories are not a priority for me," to "I meant to call you, but it wasn't a priority for me."  Anything we're "too busy" for is really not a priority.  When it comes down to it, we make time for things that are important to us.  "Busy" parents at Christmastime find time to go shopping; they make it happen. It's not REALLY about being busy--it's about what is or isn't a priority to us.

"THE BADGE OF BUSYNESS"

One of the more recent fabulous articles I read about busyness is from Bree Weber where she actually conducted an experiment about busyness!  I'll tell you about it, but I also recommend the whole article to you: {The Badge of Busyness}.  She talks about how acceptable "busy" is and how easy it is to use it as an excuse to not even exchange pleasantries in passing or to avoid going to an event you don't want to go to.  Saying we're busy is easier than saying, "I'd rather not go."

We draw more and more inward when we can present as our face to the world a badge of busyness.  As an {introvert}, I'm totally cool with drawing inward, to be honest, but I also know it's not always good for me (or any of us).  

From not sharing our gifts with the world to spending too much time with Netflix or Facebook (which has been shown to {increase depression}), looking outward and making good use of our lives is vital to our well-being.

Bree's busyness experiment was two-fold.  The first part was to try different responses when asked "How are you doing?" by both colleagues and strangers during business and professional phone calls.  She would respond with either:

• "My week has been so great!  I went hiking with a friend on Saturday and had lunch with my mom yesterday.  I'm going out of town next weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it."
• "Oh, my week has been so crazy.  I have deadlines approaching and have been working nights.  I am so busy, and I have so much to get done."

Interestingly, both responses yielded almost the same result.  The first response yielded silence or else a quick return to a business topic that would lead to comments on being so busy.  The second response, Bree found, always yielded the same thing:  a one-upping statement about who was busier.

I was amazed at how little patience there was for any personal communication, how little time was allowed to actually listen to another person.

The second part of Bree's experiment was even sadder, I thought.  When people would reply with something busyness-related, Bree would respond with something like, "Wow, it sounds like you're so overwhelmed.  I'd love to help you.  I bet there are at least 3 things on your to-do list today that you could drop.  Tell me about what your to-do list is today."  

Bree found that every single person she talked to was very protective of their to-do list.  They wanted to keep all their action items (and in some cases became rather defensive of them) to prove how important they are to their work and all the things that make them busy.  Some, she said, used the fact that they were too busy to trim down their action items as proof that they are indeed crazy busy.  And, therefore, important.

TOO BUSY TO BE PRODUCTIVE

Something that both of these articles have in common is that they found that many people are too busy to be productive.  How is that possible?  Doesn't busy mean we are doing things?  Well, not necessarily.  Yes, doing things.  Not always useful, helpful, meaningful things.  Not always things that matter.

WHY WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE TOO BUSY FOR OUR PHOTOS AND MEMORIES

I've talked to a couple of people lately about photos and memories who say, "Oh, I really need to get some memory-keeping done--my kids keep asking me for it."  

Memories and photos matter a great deal to kids.  

It helps them feel loved, and it gives them something happy to remember and look to when life is hard.  Kids need to know they are a priority.  They need to know that their life's experiences count for something.  Kids love looking at pictures of vacations and birthday parties and first days of school.  They enjoy reminiscing.  It helps them know they belong.  It validates them and makes their little hearts happy.

And guess what.  It's not any different for adults.  

Looking back at your life's experiences makes you the owner of them.  Reminiscing increases happiness!  It increases a sense of purpose and belonging.  Memory-keeping even reduces stress, so if you're "busy" and need something to relieve stress, look no further than your own camera. 

Yes, a massage or an hour of Netflix may cut down on stress, but why not do something that will be as meaningful to you next month and next year and ten years from now as it is today?  

Why not do something your kids or siblings or nieces and nephews will appreciate for years to come?  Why not do something stress-relieving that actually lasts?

DON'T MAKE IT HARDER THAN IT REALLY IS

Many people get tripped up on the idea that memory-keeping (preserving photos and memories in a tactile way) means scrapbooking--sitting down for hours and hours with stickers and scissors and paper and pens and pictures spread across three tables.  

For some people, this creative outlet is fun and meaningful, so it's their preferred memory-keeping method.  And it works!  But if that's not you, there are other options!  Don't make memory-keeping harder than it really is.  It doesn't have to be complicated, and it doesn't have to take a lot of time.  

Quality is my number one recommendation, though, so make sure your memory-keeping method isn't something that will fall apart 5 years from now.  I love recommending a variety of options so you can choose whatever method will work best for you!  You can {see my excellent recommendations at this link.}  

Here's one of my favorite ways to not make memory-keeping harder than it is.  In fact, this 5-minute video can change everything for you!

THE TWO-PART "BUSY" CHALLENGE

Did these perspectives on "busy" make you think of things a different way?  They did for me!  So I have a two-part challenge for you going forward:

1. Stop saying "Busy" as a response to "How are you?"  Look for positive things you're doing or looking forward to that you can say in your reply.  Make your responses upbeat instead of beaten down.  I've been doing this for several months, ever since I read Bree's article.  I think it makes me feel more positive and less overwhelmed.
2. Stop thinking you're too busy for your photos and memories and start making time for them.  You'll find yourself with a little more peace and a little less stress.  And you'll also have something tangible that will be meaningful to you and your family for years and years and years.  I'm a regular memory-keeper, so I actually enjoy all those benefits I listed above about why memory-keeping is good for adults, too.  It's REALLY good for me--I can tell.  If you need some help setting aside time to prioritize your pictures, join me for my online work sessions.  They're free!

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After implementing each of the two parts of the challenge, come back and let me know how things changed for you!  (by commenting below)  

I know you won't be too busy.

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6 Unique, Creative, and Personal Graduation Products (Pinterest-worthy without the work!)

I just made the most adorable, memorable graduation items that I'm SO excited to show you today!  There's nothing like taking a creative, fun idea and then being able to just push a button to make it reality.

I love how you can make a special event even more special using Heritage Makers personal publishing.  

Let me show you the 6 gorgeous, coordinating items this lucky grad will be using for announcing and celebrating her graduation.  (I am blocking out the name and school and other details for privacy.)  

It's like getting Pinterest-worthy creations without the work.  This is where you'll get started.

1. SENIOR PHOTOS KEEPSAKE BOOK and/or SIGN-IN/AUTOGRAPH BOOK

Here's the design of the guest sign-in or autograph book.  Photos are on the left pages, and spaces for friends or party guests to write are on the right.

Don't mind the privacy-related coverups there.  Your book won't come with that.  ;)

The keepsake senior photos book with quotes is the same as the book shown above with a few variations.

with quotes instead of lines for writing

2. CHOCOLATE WRAPS (labels)
  

A fun idea--create address labels to wrap around Hershey Nuggets!

The red privacy cover will be where the student's name is. 

2023 UPDATE:  Heritage Makers became YPhoto under Youngevity (which purchased Heritage Makers in 2013).  YPhoto uses only templates, so the creativity showcased here is no longer available there. Best-in-the-industry quality and permanent cloud photo storage with guaranteed privacy are required for anything recommended here by Photo & Story Treasures, so we highly recommend Forever.  

Using Forever's Artisan program for digital scrapbooking, you can make items similar to those shown here.  This video tutorial shows you how to craft with high-quality scrapbook pages, and this one shows you how to use Artisan to create something unique and then print at home (for instances in which you need thinner paper, sticker paper, etc.)  You can see just a few examples of crafting I've done using Artisan here.

3. GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

4. MATCHING RETURN ADDRESS LABELS (for the announcement envelopes)

 

I love the matchy-matchy!  I think it gives both a personal and professional look to the graduation announcements!

5. "CONGRATULATIONS" GRADUATION BANNER

Darling on a mantle, wall, or long table, this banner is made on four 12x12 scrap pages.  2023 Update: Scrap pages are available with Artisan software.

  

 

6. WATER BOTTLE LABELS

One of my personal favorites for absolute adorableness, these water bottle labels come in a set of 12.  They are made from large address labels.  This project requires some DIY--after receiving the labels, you will need to cut each label in half then wrap them around your own water bottles.  Wrap first and chill later to help the sticky-backed label stick.  It is suggested you wrap the water bottle with plain white paper about 3.5" high (taped on with double-sided tape, then place these labels on top.

 

 

 

 

Photos show labels on a 10 oz. bottle.  Labels will be 3" high.  The combined width of the two pieces of labels to wrap around the bottle is 7.5".  

I put the two label pieces on separately, but you can also stick them together first before wrapping around the bottle, like this:

I'm so excited for this graduate to be able to send such personal graduation announcements, have wonderful photo keepsakes of this exciting time in her life, and have some personalized swag at her graduation party! 

Do you have a graduation coming up or know someone who does?  Share this post with her/him, either on social media or by e-mail.  Or Pin the image below to Pinterest so you can find it again when you DO have a grad to celebrate.

Save and share or Pin for later!

These products can be made for any celebration--birthday, retirement, anniversary, bar/bat mitzvah, baptism, etc.!

What You're Really Signing Up For with Digital Photo Storage

A couple of years ago, a woman came to me wanting to know more about all this photo privacy stuff I've been talking about.  She said she had just learned that the online photobook company she'd been using for a couple of years reserves rights to all the photos uploaded to their site!  This means they could use pictures of this woman's baby in their advertising if they want.  Or sell them.  She was very concerned about photo privacy and dropped that company like a hot potato when she found out Heritage Makers does not reserve rights to your photos--they are completely private and solely yours.

The company this woman was dropping is, I believe, the most popular online photobook company out there.  Because of that (and probably because I'm a 14-year user of Heritage Makers and am quite accustomed to how they do things), I will admit that in the back of my mind I kind of didn't believe this gal.

I thought:  A company using your photos without your permission?!  How can that possibly be?!?

Guess what.  It's true.  

One Example (or, We Don't Know What We Don't Know)
This scary article, {Those Cloud Photo Services... What's the Risk?} confirms it, along with several others linked there.  According to Darla at HeartWork Organizing, many public services take the rights to your photos when you upload them to their site.  This includes Google Photos, Facebook, iCloud, Flickr, and really any social media platform.  Once you upload your photos to their site, you are giving them your photos.  They own them.

As just one example, Darla quotes the Google terms of use--what you are signing up for when you click "I accept."

"When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display, and distribute such content."

 "This license continues even if you stop using our service."

"Google may also stop providing Services to you, or add or create new limits to our services at any time." 

Okay, then.  Are your eyes as wide as mine are right now?

Darla's article also includes four links to stories of people's photos being used without their knowledge, including one where a family in Pennsylvania finds out that their picture had been used on a political ad flyer.

Not an Isolated Incident

In talking with Caren Osborne, a {professional photo organizer at Memory Lane Photo Solutions}, I learned a few more things that I didn't know about Google and iCloud.  Many people sync their phones to one of these "photo storage" methods, so they think their photos are safe up there in the cloud.  However, what most people don't know is that once you delete a photo from your phone, it's deleted from Google or from iCloud, too.  That's what syncing with your phone does--it connects the two, so whatever happens on your phone happens in the cloud, too.  

In fact, you can read about iCloud (and how many people mistake it for a photo backup when it's actually a sync) right here.

And I can't even tell you how many people have told me that they can't ever find their photos when they use iPhoto.  But that's another story.

Let me give you a way to avoid this, a way to keep your photos private!  

Keeping Our Photos Private and Safe

2022 UPDATE:  Heritage Makers will soon be retired and photo storage will not be a part of the new website.  In 2021,  I learned about Forever which offers private, full-resolution photo (and video!) storage.  

Forever goes a step further to offer permanent photo storage, meaning Forever guarantees your photos for your lifetime plus 100 years.  They do this by offering ownership of your storage--you buy it and therefore own it.  You don't rent it or pay a maintenance fee.  This is a great overview:

Your photos are even triple-backed-up with Forever Storage. There are lots more perks with Forever Photo Storage (which includes the ability to store video and audio files as well) which you can find at this informational webinar I taught in February:

In this webinar we talked about the fine print in many more photo cloud storage companies, too.

And here's how you can organize your photos well (and tag them, too!) in your Forever account:

If you do a web search for the best ways to store your digital photos, you'll find suggestions to store them two ways digitally and one way in print.  

Have you ever thought of having your photos in a book or album as photo storage?  Well, it is!

Print continues to be a largely overlooked and much more useful and satisfying form of photo storage.  You're still storing (preserving, really) your photos when you print them in a book or scrap page, and it's better than digital storage because photos are usually easier to find and easier to enjoy.  A page provides a place to record memories that belong to those photos, too, which is what makes the photo worth anything at all!

Forever allows you to store photos digitally and "store" (preserve!) them in print.

Forever also offers media conversion (digitizing of VHS tapes, film, slides, etc.).

Here's where it gets better.  Not only are your digital photos stored privately at full resolution, but the projects you create and print are, too.  That means it's not just your photos that are safely stored--it's your precious memories, too.  

Memories are what make photos mean something.  

So if this isn't what you currently get with your digital photo storage, you may want to drop your current choice like a hot potato.  

{Get started right here}.

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Celebrating 100,000 Blog Visits with a photo yearbook giveaway!

*noisemakers*

Today we're celebrating passing the 100,000 blog visits milestone at LifeTales Books!  To thank you for all those visits, we're going to celebrate with a giveaway!

This post was updated 2022 and includes two great options you can still take advantage of for getting a photo yearbook even though this drawing has closed.  Keep reading!

We don't often scroll through the digital images we have on our phones or computers, and when we do they are lacking the most important part of them--the STORY!  Or you might call them the memories.  One of my favorite ways to get those cherished snapshots into lives and hearts is with a yearbook.

yearbooks photo credit:  Denise Pehrson

I have 3 big reasons for loving yearbooks:

1. The layout helps you out of Photo Overwhelm by encouraging you to choose 4-10 of your FAVORITE photos each month.  So often, we clog up our phones/cameras with photos we don't really need.  (Do you have 8 photos of essentially the same thing?  Do you have photos that were fun for the moment but wouldn't miss if they were gone?)  Just choose favorites!!  (Don't have 4 photos from a given month?  That's okay, too.)
2. The yearbook is so well-organized!  You'll preserve your favorite photos and memories from one year in one slim book.  No mess, no hassle, no confusion.
3. Because you're just focusing on ONE year instead of all the photos you own, you avoid additional Photo Overwhelm by staying laser-focused.

Of course, highest-in-the-industry quality is a MUST!  

Did you know that PRINT is one of the best photo storage methods there is!?  If you search "best photo storage methods," you'll get varying opinions, but the one thing they'll have in common is a recommendation to make sure you print your photos.  Print allows you to add the story (memories), yes, but it's also the least risky photo storage method.  (Ever had your computer crash?  Ever had a file become unreadable?  Remember floppy disks?  I rest my case.)

Without the additional charge of my hourly rate for creating books, this prize would be a $52 value.  However, since I'm putting it all together for you (bonus!), this comes out to be a $180+ prize!!

So let's enter the photo yearbook giveaway already!  Hurry and enter--it only runs from February 5-12, 2019.  There are multiple ways you can enter, and a couple of them you can do once a day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are chosen as the winner, keep reading so you'll know what you will need to do.  

If you are not the winner, you have two similarly fantastic options!  

Option #1 is to check out this short video on creating your own yearbook using a (free) easy template.  Everything you'll need to know is there!  And there are lots of templates to choose from.

Option #2 is to use my Digital Scrapbooking For Hire services.  I can be your memory-keeping partner, rolling up my sleeves to do all the work.

Now here's what the giveaway winner will do:

1. Choose the year's worth of pictures you'd like to have preserved.  (2018, 2012, whatever)  (If you need photo organization tips so you can find all your pictures, I have quite a few right here.)
2. Choose your yearbook template.  Choose from any shown here, choosing the book style that fits your style best.  
3. E-mail me 4-10 of your favorite pictures from each month of that year, along with a little description of who is in the photos, where they were taken, what memories you have of them, etc.  So, for example, the first e-mail you'll send me might say "January 2016  Jane's birthday party was so fun because..."  You'll need to e-mail pictures to me in full resolution (highest quality).
4. I do the work, you get the benefits.  :)  It doesn't get any easier than that!

Good luck!  And from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for all the blog visits, comments, pins, shares, tweets, and general support at LifeTales Books.