Imagine a pile of papers

that periodically heaves and mutters to itself in a voice that sounds somewhat like mine.

I am working my way through the pile of papers in the office, trying to find and file everything I need to do the taxes, which not-incidentally is helped by filing everything else to get it out of the way.

I can't stand to do this for too long at any one time, generally (which has a lot to do with why the pile is as high as it is, actually) so I talk myself into it by setting a kitchen timer for half an hour and setting it on a shelf in the office.

I sort until the timer goes off and then--and this is a Most Important Step--file all my neatly sorted piles. Because I know from bitter experience that if I leave them as neatly sorted piles they will sidle and creep and spill into each other and end up a bigger mess than I started with.

I have noticeably reduced the weight on my desk but I still have a ways to go.
( Diet stuff cut )

And somehow, once I get *something* done, I feel very energized--so the success on the food and paperwork fronts means I have also gotten the LWV booklet to the printers, taken my Very Best Dress to the cleaners, paid the phone bill, gone through the mail, rinsed the furnace filter, bought the mp3 rescuing program and synched my iPod with the new laptop except for its apps, which I think just can't be done, and sent off a couple of CDs.

I still have had to put things off till tomorrow, however