Two messages

So, just after I wrote the post  Oh, the Horror: What if You Miss an Important Message?! I get two message in my Inbox. One is from MailChimp, and informs me that a subscriber has unsubscribed from my monthly newsletter. This happens from time to time; I’m sorry to lose a reader, but for every one that leaves a couple of others join the list, so I accept that it’s just a part of life and move on. This time, however, was different: there was the second message. This was titled “Information overload – why I unsubscribed”, and it read:

Your newsletter is timely and interesting. Given the pressures on my time, I just don’t have the time it requires. I wish you the best of luck in your work.

A lesson for us all

This email made my day. Sure, it’s pleasant to be told that my newsletter is “timely and interesting”… I invest a lot of time crafting it once a month and any such feedback is a small reward. It was also encouraging to see someone with the civility to let me know why he was leaving the list (nobody ever had!). But what made this really special is what the guy had done: he unsubscribed from something he found interesting, because he realized he has other demands on his time that have higher importance. He prioritized his reading based on what matters more to his Work (I presume) and to his Life.

There is a lesson here that seems trivial, but too few people heed it. Take note, and consider what things you can – should – sacrifice to make you more effective in your given 24 hour days.

Of course, if you find my newsletter of sufficient priority to you (which you might, since it does bear advice that can make you more productive overall) by all means subscribe to it!   🙂