It’s official, the summertime waltz has languished and we find ourselves spinning into another school-year tango. Even if your life hasn’t been taken over by kids or freeloaders of various breeds and sizes, Fall tends to bring a particular kind of busyness that can be dizzying.
If we are wise – or lucky – we’ve had a few days of total nothingness to absorb all of the freedom and adventure of the past couple months and our synapses are crackling with new, transformative material. Now our phones, cameras, DropBoxes, Google Docs, and various clouds are full to the brim with images of travels, gardens, living room forts, concerts and nature walks.
Maybe we’ve posted some on social media or shared a few with less tech savvy family, but we will definitely get back to them and finally make a book or calendar or something before the holidays – just as soon as things slow down. Which of course, won’t happen. Time waits for no one.
But what if we allow ourselves a small bit of time right now?
I call it the 3 Minute Cull Storm. (Culling means to choose the best from a group.) Go through your photos at breakneck speed, deleting only the worst without hesitation. Spend less than a second on each image.
Why so fast? It’s simple. Glaring issues really stand out when you move through images quickly, Also, you won’t get sucked into the vortex of reminiscing.
What constitutes the worst? You’ll know them when you see them:
- out-of-focus
- blurry
- poorly framed
- eyes in mid-blink
- unwanted backgrounds
- inadvertent nostril/cheek/knee
Delete happily and get ‘um gone. You’ll never even miss them. Promise.
Don’t spend time studying shots in a series. They may need to be pared down, but save that for later. Repeat until you’ve managed to get through a single month, like all of June. Try to knock out July and August, as well.
Do 3 measly minutes even make a difference? (you scream-ask).
Yes! I’m real believer in the miracle of 3 minutes. So much can happen in 180 seconds! Your favorite song can lift your spirit. Blood can rush to your brain and refresh your mind after a 3 minute toe-touching stretch. You can begin a meditation practice with just 3 minutes. And yes, you can manage your digital life in just a few directed minutes.
Not to mention, you can actually find three spare minutes!
Look for them in the car while you’re waiting at after-school pick-up, standing in line at fill-in-the-blank store, longer trips to the bathroom at home, or while waiting to meet a client. If you borrow a few minutes from your social media or info-mining habits, you’ll uncover untold amounts of time hiding where you can find them.
Another wonder of the 3 minute cull is that you will get through between 150 and 200 images. That’s not nothing! Your sense of accomplishment will swell, and induce feelings of confidence and self control.
Your reward will be a collection of photos ready for a photo book.