clear my desk

Give me until Sunday night. Then I’ll write a nice long “How I Did It.”

I have made a huge amount of progress recently, and will definitely be up to date by the end of March!

For a couple of months, I have been working an average of an hour a day, totalling about fifty hours, on organizing my desk and work files. All the easy stuff, most of the moderately difficult stuff, and some of the hardest stuff are done.

My actual desktop is now clear of all but one ongoing project and the work that must be done by Monday. I have two project files with six shelves each. Half the shelves are clear; the half that still need to be filed, organized, and/or purged will probably take about eight hours. I have four open file boxes that hold big ongoing jobs. One is empty, one is almost empty, two still need to be organized and purged; those two will take about eight hours. I have organized my four filing cabinet drawers. Three still need to be purged; that will probably take about ten hours. My sheet music shelves are about 90% organized; the last 10% will take about six hours.

So I estimate this desk clearing project will take another 32 hours. At the rate of an hour a day, that means it should be done by the end of March! If it isn’t, I intend to put on a push to get the rest done in a day, even if I have to hire help!

I’ve organized my current job and side business projects into accessible file boxes. I’m an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of person, so it’s important that I can see everything I’m working on, but that it’s neat so I can find stuff. I’ve collected all the receipts into one file, and have started organizing my tax materials, so my accountant can get to work. I’ve done a lot of LITTLE things, which have added up to the desk, and my office in general, being easier to negotiate. I’m guessing that by the Summer, I’ll be up to date, and the desk will be clear.

Alas, work has been crazy busy, and I’m not making progress on getting my desk up-to-date. It would be so much easier to work if everything were in order. Right now, I’m making a date with myself for the first free time I have, this Sunday afternoon when I get home from work, to spend the rest of the day on it. I’m planning to file everything that can be filed, and separate the papers that are left into projects.

At least I haven’t undone the three piles: everything in the personal file has stayed in the personal pile, ditto the job pile, and the new business pile. But with the holidays taking up most of the last month, and with other stressful stuff going on, I have not made any progress clearing the piles; indeed, they’ve gotten taller. I think the craziness will be over by the end of October, so I’m going to make a date with myself that when I get home from work on November 1, the entire rest of the day will be spent on one of the piles. Writing it in my appointment book right now!

I have filed the receipts, and divided all the remaining papers into three piles: job, my new business, and personal. I am organized to go in to my job tomorrow, and the only papers on the main surface of my desk are the ones I am using right now.