The state of my files – a metaphor for my state of mind – disorganised chaos and become increasing difficult to find anything from the tottering piles of paperwork on my desk and floor. In truth it’s a reflection of the relentless generation of tasks. What’s needed is a clean broom (and a dust behind the radiators) to put my house and mind in order together with a mass subdivision of bulging files e.g. Digital media with a subfile for blogging. And do I really need every single copy of the 10 drafts of a 6 episode TV serial all of which are kept on disk anyway?
Whilst clearing, I manage to unearth a few forgotten gems which provide a welcome distraction – Newspaper cuttings, mostly obituaries and tributes to some of my favourite heroes: local photographer, Jimmy Forsyth, Richard Burns and Colin McRae . Then there’s the old copies of Motorsport News, rally programmes and lovely glossy mags of rally cars in action in glamorous locations and hot sweaty rally drivers….I digress.
Back to work, I look around the room and I wonder why I ever started this. If a burglar came into this room and ransacked it, I don’t think anyone would notice. I suppose it has to get worse before it gets better but right now I want to cry. Instead I decide on a change of scenery and take my laptop to the kitchen table and try to do some work – the perfect excuse not to stay in that room.
The next day I steel myself to go back in and start the long, slow process of reorganisation. I decide to streamline my work in progress into 3 piles:
- Creative work – now untouched for many a month which is a source of great frustration
- Website as a business
- Creative side of website – recordings of drama, writers reading own work etc.
I file quite a lot off the desk into additional box files but have run out of anywhere to put them – a new book case is needed. I get Wonderhubby to measure up – because measuring up is a man-thing in our house – probably because I don’t like the way the steel measure snaps at you disapprovingly when it rolls back up - it needs a bloke’s firm hand to keep it in check.
It actually takes 3 days in total to get everything pulled round which means an even longer list of tasks has now built up – financial models, business plans and website specifications. It’s now 11pm, Sunday night and being sad I’m still vacuuming and shaking rugs. Our recycle bin is brimming with discarded paper but everything is now in its place and ready for action. Roll on Monday morning.
