Cleaning out Files

Alright, so I can’t find something. A little nitty gritty slip of paper with a phone number on it. I know how to replace the number with a look-up on-line or in the phone directory, but I know I have this little piece of paper with what I’m looking for. Why look things up when the data is right there? On that little bit of paper. That I can’t find at the moment.

Yeah, sure. Can’t find it. So, of course, it’s time to clean out some paper stacks littering the office. To the right of my keyboard is the hot spot – the location that all things to do within the next 15 minutes are placed. Nothing there. Nothing to clean up or clear out.

To the left of my keyboard are the files that are to be worked on every day. These tend to be weekly and not of critical timeliness. Only when they aren't done on a timely basis, they become critical. And they are too big to move to the right hand side of the keyboard because that spot is not large enough to house files. So…I plow through the stacks on the left. I know I won’t find the bit I’m looking for but the discipline is look at everything now.

Whoa! There’s stuff in here I've forgotten. Wonder if it still needs to be worked on? Yep, it does. Better get to that in the next couple of days. Leave the stacks alone with the exception of tossing the really old material that truly is too old to do anything about. Ever. Oh well!

Left of the computer desk is the printer cart and on top of that is a perch I place work files that can wait. Only some of them have been waiting for…let’s see, 2 months now. Hmm. I think these can quietly slip into the waste basket unknown to mankind. No one will ever know. So, that stack is now cleared out. Forever.

The basket on the window sill to the right of the computer desk…ah yes, there is my storage hideyho that retains address book, coupons, sugar shaker (for my morning coffee), various cables for recharging various electronic gadgets, an extra eye glass case, and sundry bits of paper with names and phone numbers now long forgotten. I wonder if what I’m looking for is in here. Well, let’s take a look. Good grief these are old. Time to toss some of the debris. Ah yes, there’s the ticket stub to a community concert held 2 years ago; nice event, but no need to keep the stub; wonder why I kept it? And look at the old coupons now expired. Dump those. A calendar for 2013 can be dumped. And the one for 2014, too. Well the collection is now less crammed, much neater, and sure enough, what I needed I just found.

Well, that’s good. But, as long as I’m at it, I might as well complete the clearing out task.

Now on to the stack of boxes on the floor to the right of my computer chair. Two boxes with a dandy top of the stack handy for placing even more work files. Oh yes, I know what these are about. And I really must get to them, maybe by the weekend?  Surely must!

Now on to the swivel stool to the left of my computer chair. The stool was placed there 2 weeks ago to neaten up the living room. No need for the stool there. So of course it is stashed in the office. But what a handy surface to place still more work files on. Let’s see what’s in that mess: a reminder to consider ComEd’s new rate saving offer that requires me to shut off power-using appliances to save on my utility bill; notes on an old IRS request for information (I complied back then, but now something else has come up that needs me to call them; I've put this off too long, still need to do it; maybe next week); oh yes, and another file on a SCORE project coming due at the end of the month; better make sure I've done everything I need to for that.

Now on to the file drawer in the closet; found some interesting doodads I can use in my daily work; found some other files out of place but now re-filed. All is looking good there.

Now the final resting place to check: the secretary. So many nooks and crannies. And drawers! But the surface holds three stacks: one for continuing files to work on; another for what’s on tap for today; and the third are bits and pieces of what I need to do next time I go down to the garage and run some errands.

As I settle at the keyboard to get re-started on work, my eyes fall on a messy pile of business cards. And doctor appointment cards. I am reminded of still more small bits of work to do. OK, so I will slot that into my afternoon today. By evening my work surfaces will be clean and relatively cleared.

I wonder how long that will last. Why do we let life get so complex?

March 3, 2015