I'm 60 I have accumulated so many piles and stuff stuck in my endless "to-do" list----I sometimed wish to just stop everything and clean it up. Anyone tried this?

I take one day a week (usually Fridays) to clean up my desk at work, and prepare for the next week.

I don't do this on a regular basis but when I'm frustrated I step away, turn around and head the other direction.

In short I do stop trying to do anything else and focus on organising and cleaning up after myself. When things get too far out of hand I can't be happy working in that chaotic environment. My shop is the place I have some semblance of order. My family life is a complete and utter dogs breakfast.

When things have gone on too long and I'm getting down on myself about the work left undone and the mess, I often work on something for myself. First I'll spend hours cleaning and organising then I'll sit down and do some task that's been on a back burner for so long I'd almost forgotten it. I have some collectables that never see any care because I'm busy working on other peoples "special" keep sakes. I usually feel great when I'm done and ready for another round of the boring workaday stuff.

I like Andrew's idea about using a day a week to settle up the mess on my desk. I have a tough time making dates like that but I have no trouble knowing when it's time to salvage some order in the shop. My mental health is indicated often by the degree to which I care for myself and the paperwork and organisation of my work life is a prime source for this.

I've had my folks out for a couple of weeks now and I took several hours last week to sit down and put things away and keep the accounting up to date even though I was supposed to be entertaining. I feel so much better when I make time for this type of thing. I'm worth it and everyone around me benefits.

Good on you Andrew. I'm envious!

ian.

I don't think I could handle it any other way. If I came back on Monday to piles of stuff everywhere, I would be lost, trying to sort through things.

I have tried taking a break to deal with the piles. On occasion I have stopped taking cases for a couple weeks. It does give me more time, but I seem to go into "paralysis mode," and get absolutely nothing done (I've been there for the last two weeks :( .

Whereas if I have a million things to do, I can usually get motivated to something (even if it's just to avoid something else :rolleyes: ). I find that I get the most "pile clearing" done when I have something pressing to do that I am avoiding.

I've learned that having a cleared desk makes a huge difference in how well I work. The peace and calmness of a cleared desk are important to my psyche. When the piles start to fall over, I feel very uptight and overwhelmed.

On those occasions, I take a cardboard file box and just slide everything off of my desk and into the box. Then I take one item out at a time - from top to bottom and I don't let myself skip to the next item until I'm finished with the first. Please don't ask how many partially filled boxes I have laying around the office! Susan

I always clean up after myself cause If I don't when I come back the next day then I can't motivate myself to work in a messy area.

Remember that there is a difference between messy area and a work in progresss/combination toolbox construction project.

But there better not be any sawdust or dirt on the floor in the morning or I will take the day off and think about cleaning it up before I start anymore.

Grin