I’ve lost my desk to paper piles and disorganization again. Somehow, all of my grand attempts to keep paper clutter off my desk and filed away have completely failed me. Stacks of papers, problem books, and partially completed projects have crept up from the depths of Paper Hell and spread themselves across my desk. Some papers blend into two piles simultaneously, which means if I bother to throw anything away, I’ll have read it and evaluate it before I pitch it.

I know what the problem is– I’ve not been filing papers as soon as I touch them. I caught myself throwing a piece of paper on a pile today and thinking, “I’ll file it later.” Bad girl! That’s how I got into so much trouble in the first place. Too much procrastination makes for a huge project later.

To make matters worse, I haven’t been cleaning off my desk at the end of the day. I’ve been too exhausted and overwhelmed to organize my papers at any point in the day, which means I start the next day exhausted and overwhelmed just looking at the mess when I walk into my office. The paper gremlins seem to multiply when I’m distracted by a crisis or have too many meetings in one day.

Cleaning off my desk is like working out– I know it’s good for me and I know how good I’ll feel after my workout, but some days it’s easier to lie on the couch and watch TV while grazing from a bag of potato chips. It’s painless to let the mess build up, but stressful and unhealthy to live this way in the long run. (Too bad those papers aren’t really potato chips– I doubt I’d let them pile up!)

Maybe the vacation day I randomly scheduled for this Friday is the medicine I need to take. I will make it my goal to clear off my desk (and not just pile it in a corner), so that when I return next Monday, I’ll start with a clear idea of what next week’s problems and priorities will be.