Clutter be gone, work to be done

I was sitting in my office the other day staring at a mound of paperwork that I had set aside because I was too busy to deal with anything of a tedious nature.

Where will I file it? What does it mean? These were the questions I wasn't up to addressing at the time I set each piece of paper aside. For quite a stretch of time, it seems that I was too worn out after dealing with umpteen other issues that I considered more important.

At home, the same dilemma faced me as I stared at my kitchen table. By design, kitchen tables are meant for eating, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lately, however, whenever mealtimes arrive, I am forced to make decisions on where to move an entire stack of miscellaneous papers. Do I move them off the table to a second place where they don't belong or simply push the pile aside on the table leaving a small area from which to dine.

Once again, it was becoming totally ridiculous and it was high time for me to deal with it.

On a recent, miserable, rainy day off from work, I decided to address what I had been avoiding for so long. My eyes zoned in on the mess of scattered papers that, by the end of the day, amounted to a stack only about five or six inches tall.

Once the papers were in a neat and tidy stack, I realized this chore could be entertaining, sorting each item by degree of importance. Once I got the stack sorted and sticky notes attached to each category, I could begin to see the end. Finally, I realized that what I really needed was some file folders. I also needed a break from the monotonous task of sorting papers, so off to the office supply store I went.

Some people would laugh at me and ask why I don't just scan it all and put it on a disc. It definitely would take up less space. My answer to that is - next year! That's exactly what I plan to do, but I'll start fresh in 2010 - a year with even numbers. I already have two file cabinets filled to overflowing. No, I'm not going there now.

When I returned home, I filled up the file folders, documented the file tabs and squeezed them into the overflowing file cabinet. I felt better. A heavy weight lifted off my shoulders.

The next day, I went to work and noticed my little dog's wire crate parked behind my desk. It's the crate she stays in when, on rare occasions, I take her to work.

It struck me that I haven't been able to see the crate for months because of all the miscelaneous stuff stacked several layers tall. But ask me where something is and I can go to that stack and pull it out just like that. The stack is my stash place when things start coming at me faster than I can think.

Life, when it comes to paperwork, can be complicated. N matter if you are filing electronically in cyberspace, using a computer disc or putting hardcopies in a tangible file cabinet, it all takes tedious mental labor that can send the brain into overload.

Important items must be kept close at hand so they don't become intertwined with that of the past, I say.

With my table at home now cleared, I decided to tackle the papers piled in neatly stacked folders on the two-year-old treadmill that I haven't even broken in yet. It just sits there waiting like the paperwork.

The problem with de-cluttering for me is that once I dive into a project, numerous other related projects follow. There often is no end to it. But, then what is life all about anyway? - A lot of repetition, that's what I've decided.

Repetition is good for us, I tell my grandsons. That's how we learn. If you do whatever you do often enough, you will soon memorize it and eventually get it right.

Actually, that's how my one grandson is catching on. I had to make life a game of memorizing. Now, he doesn't need to have me tell him every move on life's chess board.

It works on the dogs, too. Once they get something into their heads, look out.

The big challenge ahead is maintaining clutter-less zones at work and at home. The smaller the place (and my place is small) the harder it is to avoid clutter. My home is very small, my office is tiny. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

What I have to do next is de-clutter my deck at home. I do it every year, and every year I say the same thing. "There's too much stuff on this deck."

But I usually convince myself that I need it. Clutter grows like moss on a rock if you allow it to. I vow this year to not have so many plants to care for on the deck. Besides, it's supposed to be a drought year.

Some of us have a tendency to grow stuff everywhere. I'm limiting myself to two plant stands, two hanging plants, a patio table and chairs, barbecue and the outdoor freezer - which I consider a necessity.

Wish me luck!