Shoveling Out the Office

You know how I'm always talking about wanting to get my house cleaned and organized? Well, I have an incentive now. The local newspaper (which is a major metropolitan daily) wants to do an interview with me to run in conjunction with the release of the next book, and the reporter wants to do the interview in my home. This week.

EEEEEEEK! I just turned in a book, after writing two back-to-back. We're talking steam shovel levels of cleaning here. But you know, after two days of work, it's starting to look like it may happen. I tried something wild and crazy and started with my office, even though it's the place where I usually shut the doors and let it stay messy. I realized that most of the clutter in the living room is stuff that belongs in the office but that gets stuck in the living room because I don't have a place for it in the office. So, if I get the office organized a bit, then I'll have a place for all the stuff in the living room. I'm not trying to sort through everything in the office. There's a fair amount of stuff that's been shoved in the closet for me to deal with later, but my desk and the area around it are clear, I've rearranged things to make more room around my desk and generally be more ergonomic, and I have a lot of stuff filed.

Now, though, I'm kind of running out of steam. I tried putting on a CD and working in a particular room while that CD played so I didn't burn out in any one room. What I didn't realize is that the CDs I was putting on were double albums (it's hard to tell with a CD). So instead of 45 minutes of work at a stretch, I was doing an hour and a half or so. No wonder I burned out. I may tackle the bathroom next, then deal with the living room tomorrow. I think I'll make it by Thursday. And then I'll try not to let things fall apart again, no matter how busy I get. I already love my mostly clean desk. It makes me feel free and a lot less stressed.

Wish me luck!