We are sick and tired of being homeless. Please tell Gutsy Writer that she’s abandoned us on her dining room table for over a month. Whenever she approaches, we get all excited, but that only lasts a few seconds. She shuffles us around, scans a few lucky papers while the rest of us in the middle of the pile shout, “pick me, pick me, my turn,” and then something terrible happens: she gets distracted and boils the kettle for her umpteenth cup of coffee or tea. We think she has ADHD. She clearly has the following symptoms of ADHD:
- difficulty paying attention,
- inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities,
- procrastination,
- fidgeting,
- squirming when seated,
- being always on the go.
We beg you to help her. Perhaps a few suggestions on how to organize us into new homes, clearly labeled so we don’t get evicted. She’s a Virgo, or so she says. Virgos are organized perfectionists, aren’t they? If only we knew where she keeps her birth certificate.
For all you demanding pieces of paper waiting for me to file you, I have two excuses:
- I’m a modern Virgo. According to my personality trait, “Although Virgos are described as orderly and neat in most personality profiles, the modern day Virgo may not always stand out from the crowd in the neatness department.”
- I have caught the Swine Flu, at least that’s what I think it is. My whole body is achy, my lower vertebrae feel hammered and bruised, my knees don’t function when I’m upright and every time I cough, my brain shakes as though someone is punching it from the inside out.
I need to shut the files up, once and for all. If you can simplify the process and give me tips on how you organize papers and computer documents related to writing, presentation notes, articles, conference notes, and how to make things easy to find, I have a $15 GIFT CERTIFICATE from amazon.com for the best method. Do I have to read through each paper before I file it? Depending on how many responses I get, either I shall decide, or I’ll let everyone VOTE. Come on, lets motivate one another to get organized.
Oh my – hope you feel better soon! My son had the flu ten days ago…
As for those files, the only way to shut them up is to feed them chocolate.
sorry,
'Do I have to read through each paper before I file it?' YES!
of course you can scan all the papers but then there's a mess in your computer…
I file everything like a tree
an example
images: main file > different files for animals, garden etc., food,kitchen etc., macro, 'things' etc.
Under those files I have files for blog postings.
I know what pics I've used on my blogs.
What ever system you have you have to do the work.
Sorry!
I have Virgo too… 🙂
Any help?
@ LadyFi,
The chocolate seems to be working.
@BLOGitse
That's my problem, I have so many papers that need to be read first. Too many.
Yay Virgos!!! Woo hoo!
So far i think Fi has the best suggestion. LOL
Sadly, the papers need to be read at least once. Otherwise you may file junk that isn't necessary. Go through one stack and come up with no more than five categories. (ex Story Ideas, Characters, Time Lines, Agent Responses, etc) Then buy those pretty flat boxes and label them appropriately. Drop files in the appropriate box. The boxes can be stacked with the file name showing for when you need to use them or add to them.
Oh and you have to sort through the boxes at least once a quarter to purge what you don't need and give the rest their chocolate. :p
Sorry to hear you've got the flu. But, since you're a survivor, I anticipate you'll pull through.
As for the filing challenge, once I've figured out how to "tame" my mess, I'll let you know.
That may, or may not, happen before Hell freezes over.
Okay, I'm laughing! Filing is SO not fun! Here's a system for you: Name very general categories for the papers you need to file. Keep it under 5 categories. Quickly scan and divide the papers into piles and throw the stacks in shallow open file boxes (you can buy them at Staples). Lay the boxes on a shelf for easy filing of new papers. Once every six months or so, purge the file boxes.
Buy a big cube basket and stack all of your to-be-read's in there. This basket will look nice in any room and is easy to find a book when you want one.
Filing shouldn't be tedious, and books shouldn't wink and tease us!
@Cairo Typ0
You and Jill have the same idea. Why only 5 categories? I have things like book proposals, synopses, pitches, editors, agents, publishers, authors, potential endorsers etc. etc. etc. HELP!!!
@Rob-bear
I see we have the same problem. Are you a Virgo?
@Jill K.
What is a big cube basket? Is it some sort of rattan basket, like one of those laundry ones? Is that so I take my books off the top shelf? The one with the pretty flip-flop bag that reminds me of "From Freeways to Flip-Flops" the title of my book that I realize a publisher will change.
Are you sure you did not pick up something in Belize? besides the worms?
Oh, I am so happy you cannot see my office and my desk! I have found that if I ignore the piles of paper long enough, they become out of date and obviously I didn't need the information because I would have gone hunting for it.
Books, well I love books. On shelves. It's the paper that gets me, all those print outs, and the magazines and newsletters.
I have no system. Actually I have a jumble of systems and the systems themselves need sorting out.
No help from me, Sonia!
What has worked best for me is to move to another country.
I thing LadyFi is the winner, no matter what anyone else suggests.
I hope you feel better soon.
For the record, the Bear is a Virgo. But why on earth would you think of that in the first place?
@Jungle Mom
I hope not, but I do feel so good now compared to last night. That seems too fast for it to be Swine flu, don't you think?
@Miss Footloose
I'm glad that you're a successful published author with some bad organizational skills. That gives me hope. Thank you for the boost. No gift certificate for you though.
@Rob-bear
Well you didn't pay attention to the fact that modern Virgos are not neat freaks. So I assumed you must be one like me.
Oh, us Virgo girls.
Perfectionists? Hmmm.
Tidy? Up to a point.
My husband worked it out, after living with chaos for an impressive number of years: we LIKE it tidy, sure. But we also like somebody else to MAKE it tidy. And thank goodness HE does the tidying now.
They say that cleanliness is next to
Godliness.
Around here, cleanliness is next to impossible.
You can trust the Bear on this one.
You need to deal with the papers as they come in – not let them pile up. If you do, then you must read through them in order to sort into files. But even I have piles of papers around – on chairs, in bags. What I do in a first round sort is:
1. That which can be recycled/thrown away.
2. Stuff that needs immediate attention.
3. Important stuff to file.
4. Kids stuff.
5. The rest
Repeat ad infinitum……
feeling better today?
any conclusion for filing?
Here's one more.
Time.
That helps with papers too.
Let them be and after 6 months, 1yr you'll notice
'oh, this is done, don't need this anymore, did I write this? rubbish' etc.
Time has done the job for you!
Voila! 🙂
Very fun reading! I'm pretty good at filing and organizing, BUT nowadays with little kids, I don't use a special room and a special desk for writing anylonger. I use a laptop on the kitchen table. And there goes the organizing bye-bye!
It looks like those papers never disappear, somehow they keep breeding :))
I'm so happy that I've discovered your blog! It's interesting and enjoyable.
I am a compulsive perfectionist filer. Everything is in its place, labeled and has a spreadsheet to refer to. You're going to think I'm really nutty because I love to go into someone else's disorganization and fix it. Yes, I need to be in therapy!!! LOL!
Sorry to hear you've got the yucky flu. Hope you're feeling better for Thanksgiving.
@Donna M. K.
I see that Clermont, FL is close to Orlando. Pity you're not closer to Naples, as we are hoping to relocate there and you'd be able to fix my filing. Thanks for your visit. Come back when you have time.
@Turquoise Diaries
Perhaps I should become like Donna Kohlstrom and make a spreadsheet, or like Pop and Ice, and take care of them immediately.
@Desiree
I no longer have small kids at home, so what's my excuse?
@BLOGitse,
Thanks for checking back. I didn't get to workout, so there's a sign I'm not feeling great. When I workout, you know I'm feeling better. Perhaps later today. I hate missing the gym. As far as filing, I like the idea of chocolate from LadyFi and waiting 6 months, from you. Thanks.
@Pop and Ice
I agree that I should take care of it as it comes in, so it doesn't pile up. First I need to file the old, before I can deal with the new. Thanks. I envy you for being organized. Please stop by and help me if you want to.
@Rob-bear
Does that bother you? If not, does it matter?
@Joco
Wow! You have a unique blog. Thanks for the tip. I hadn't thought of asking Duke, my husband to file for me. Perhaps that's the solution. Thanks.
That's a generous offer for some very organized person! I'm afraid all I can suggest is to only buy furniture with drawers in it.
One whole shelf in my kitchen pantry holds art supplies, and book dummies in various stages of completion. If we hadn't just had the dishwasher repaired, I might have taken over that, too.
My wife purchased one of those video tape series by two women called The Slob Sisters. The video is supposed to help my wife organize the mountains of stuff (mostly paper) we have in our house… and which has now overflowed into a storage unit.
Unfortunately she cannot locate the tape.. lost out in the garage someplace. Wish we could be of more help but we are battling our own "stuff" demons.
Hi Gutsy…you ARE gutsy…I met my husband in a singles ad too. I placed it, he answered.
I would suggest one of those rolling folder boxes, do hanging files and label accordingly. Easily transportable and can also be placed in a closet to get it out of your sight. That way, you can have more than 5 categories. I have a top drawer to one of my filing cabinets dedicated to my writing files. Whenever possible, I try to file docs in Word, instead of shuffling paper and filing…YUCK!!!
I'm going to follow you to keep up with your gutsy excursions.
@Adrienne
If a magic wand comes with the suggestion, I'll be happy to offer a $15 gift certificate. I like the dishwasher idea though.
@Donna B
I like the rolling file idea, especially getting it out of sight. Please, if you have time, can you give me an idea if you have many files, like, author's bio, pitch, potential endorsers, editors, agents, synopsis, etc.
@Robert the Skeptic
I love your humor and the title of the video by the Slob Sisters. I don't think I've reacher sloberhood yet, just paper slob. I hope your wife finds the tape, or you might have to purchase another.
Throw all of the papers into a box (or boxes). If you don't go searching for it and retrieve it from the box within 90 days, shred it.
Sonia, get well!
You've seen my house, but a few ideas are percolating for your file system.
1. I use an inexpensive rolling cart for my art supplies, and one for my photography.
I can see through the drawers, but mark them anyway; Prints, Tear-outs/ Subject Ideas.
2. Next to my writing desk I have a wood, 3-shelf bookcase–the kind where the shelves flip down. Usually $50.00. I keep all of my writing books I need: Editing, Formatting; Building Web Pages.
3. I also keep a vinyl accordian file I bought at Walmart on that same bookcase where I stow story ideas as well as printed stories; poems in their own indexed file.
4. On the wall by my desk, I have one of those ribboned boards where I stuff quick notes of websites, research topics i want to have immediately handy.
5. Decorative magazine files, from Marshall's or the basic files from the office supply section of Walmart, keep all the Writer's Digests hands, as well as my Photography and Art magazines.
6. I have a 5×7 card file box too, where I keep info about computer tips, updates, etc…
That's about it, Sonia.
Hope you feel better soon.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Nancy in wet Naples…
@Patricia,
That reminds me of what you're supposed to do with clothes.
@GulfGal
You've offered me a very thorough filing system with various options. Thanks. I shall announce the decision on the gift certificate on Monday, December 7th.
I'm a virgo too. I am nuts for organization. I used file cabinets for the most part. And tubs and containers for the unsightly stuff that I just want to hide. I also have one of those nifty machines that shred documents and old credit cards. I don't throw out any paper with any of our personal information on it.
I had the flu about 10 days ago, it was BAD, but I wasn't coughing much and from what I understand the swine flu will make you cough like crazy. Hope you get better, I eventually did.
Take a big box, load all the stuff in there and tape it shut. Set it up in the attic. Chances are within a short period of time, you will forget about everything in the box and can start new piles.
Always works for me. Never miss what is in the sealed box as I can't remember what it was.