Sorting Out my Confusion

Leo on the Edge

Sitting here at the table, I look across the brook and notice the fat limb on the biggest tree over there has a huge crack. Uh oh, that’s going to come down soon. Thankfully it’s not over a building. When it falls, it’ll probably land in the brook.

My gaze shifts lower, distracted by two chipmunks chasing each other along the remaining ice shelf on the opposite banking. In some areas, the tips of long icicles hanging from the shelf are lapped by the rushing water while other areas of the ice shelf extend out above the brook creating lengths of dark, open space between ice and water. It’s intriguing. By afternoon, it’ll look very different.

The wind causes branches to sway and shadows dance on the deck. The movement catches my eye and I look to see if it’s some critter. Nope, fooled again. Time to stop gazing out the window and finish my work. I hope to get in the studio later.

But, right now, I need to make up my mind what to do next. Multiple muses vie for my attention calling me to do things I enjoy doing while my logical brain demands I take care of tedious jobs needing to be done. I’m feeling overwhelmed by it. And I can’t make up my mind which to do. That old want versus should.

Naturally, things pop up stealing my attention, and hours slip away. Next thing I know, it’s lunch time. Jeez, do I need to take time to eat? Too often I choose not. Then it gets way into the afternoon and closer to supper time. And, if I stop to eat now, I’ll lose my train of thought …

However, one thing stands out, for sure: I can’t share my full attention with the creative muses until I settle this other tedious job issue weighing on my brain.

The past two days, when not working my editing job, I made feeble attempts at going through my paper hard copy files. I used to be so meticulous with each categorized folder, in alphabetical order, ready for whatever receipts, pertinent to that folder and in numerical order by date … but that was years ago before I started working from home.

A home business meant more receipts and paperwork, and work/business-related papers needed to be separate from the personal items. It’s keeping two sets of files and two file boxes and a third, larger tote box for yearly files needing to be kept for seven years.

I got lazy, and instead of filing paperwork individually, I tossed receipts in a box until year’s end when I’d sort them, only to put them all in one (or two depending how much) manila folders with the year written on the outside. How much sense does that make?

So, this week, after two afternoons of frustration, I was at my wits’ end. Do I really need to be keeping all this paperwork? And if so, does it matter if it’s not categorized in alpha-numerical order? When was the last time I ever had to look through previous years’ papers?

I got up this morning thinking how much I can reduce the size of paperwork storage. However, even with this decision made, there’s still work to do and work means more time. I have to physically pare down the file box and dispose of paperwork properly. Then what’s left needs to be categorized as there are writings and manuals I want to keep.

The muses whispering in my head are not helping. I’d rather go play in the studio with them, especially as I just got some new pastels.