Barely Contained

This office is a mess. Things keep piling up.

Unfortunately, it's also a fair representation of my brain. The areas that do the cataloguing, sorting and arranging are barely glowing, so how can I expect myself to jump right in, whisk things around and get everything all tidied up and put away in an hour or two?

This kind of job takes any normal person--me, in this case--months just to get going. That is because the self-starter button in the brain is jammed in the off position. As a result, the projects that can be put on hold are put on hold as frequently and for as long as possible. It's the only way to stay sane.

Take my cousin, for instance. If I were more like her, I'd drive myself crazy. I'd get a lot done, and filing would cease to be the abominable headache it is, but at the end of it all, I'd still be crazy, so how much good would that do!

She is jam-packed with energy, shrewd intelligence and loads of self-discipline. It oozes out of every pore. Her organizational skills are supreme, too. I could go on and on, but it's beginning to make me nauseous just reading what I've already written about her. Maybe I should pay her to come out here and tell me how to create a filing drawer, with all the tabs and folders in all the right places.

See, that's what the blockage is all about: decisions. That part of my brain is equally as somnolent as the self-starter part. No wonder it's hard to get anything done.

The first decision is: should I keep stuff in a drawer with a hanging file folder for each topic? Or just buy one of those telescoping file folders with lots of slots, and keep it handy under my work station, so all I have to do is lean over and drag it out when it's time to file away a few more receipts? Why get up, when leaning over is so much easier and efficient? Being efficient is a sublimely good thing. Therefore, I'm a good thing. See how that argument goes?

And here's another thing: some of the file folders I've already bought come with letters on the tabs. I find this very convenient. But then they went and muddled things up by putting words on there, too, and they don't match up with the alphabet. For instance, the "R" slot says "Receipts, and the "S" slot says Rent/Mortgage.

Since I'm a small business (and steadily shrinking, right along with the rest of the economy), it's easier to sort the receipts as bills are paid and purchases are made. That's why it's important for me to get all the little details worked out ahead of time. Otherwise, I'll be filing and refiling till I get it right. Filing the first time is bad enough, so why add to it? Do it right the first time, if you can. It's easier in the long run, and more efficient. See how that goes?

Simple to do; it's the getting going that's the real challenge, and who has an answer for that?

And here's another other thing: when I file the receipts, do I put them in front of the "C for car," or behind it? Why?

Susan Sexton