“Your storage is almost full”
"Your storage is almost full."
Google must have sent that message to my main Gmail account* countless times over the last six months or so. The first time I received it, I opened it, read how close I was to the limit and what I'd have to do it fix it, told myself "I don't have time to deal with this," decided to procrastinate fixing it, and deleted the message. I mean, could I really hit a limit? That didn't seem feasible.
I continued deleting every single message with that subject line, figuring that there was no way my storage was really ever going to hit "full." Then last week, I realized I hadn't received any messages on that account for hours, but my other Gmail accounts worked. I kept trying to "pull" email on that account from my phone, but nothing worked. I was perplexed. Did my password get stolen? And then.... I remembered the warning emails.
With a sinking suspicion, I logged into that Gmail account from my laptop. A big, red banner appeared across the top advising me that my storage was full and displaying options for how to fix it. I could buy more storage or delete Trash and large files. Buy storage? No thank you! So, I spent about an hour cleaning up my Trash and sifting through large files (why didn't I save the pictures from our 2010 trip to Paris elsewhere?!). Finally, I was able to send and receive email, but I stayed up way too late -- and got really grouchy and frustrated.
The universe's message was loud and clear: There are so many warning signs we ignore because we think we don't have time to deal with the underlying problem; we put off "fixing" the problem; or, we think "that's not going to happen to me." Then, when the proverbial poop hits the fan, it's never at a convenient time and always way worse than dealing with the actual situation. It can be health-related, work-related, or something in your personal life, but sometimes, we just "hit snooze" because it's easier. However, in my experience (especially in my professional life before my career change), ignoring the warnings costs time and mental anguish.
So I ask, as we head into the fall (I know, I'm sorry!), what warning signs and red flags can you heed this month? What have you been ignoring that needs to be addressed before the new season is upon us? What's one step you can take over the next week to move the needle?
Reply here to let me know and to hold yourself accountable. Also, if you've ever hit the limit on Gmail, I'd love to know what other company I keep!
*This was my first, original Gmail account I created 20 years ago, so at least it took me this long to hit the limit!
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