Let's Take a Tour

This is my creative place. The place where I do most of my writing and thinking and preparing.

I have this little basket next to my chair that usually holds my current projects, books I'm reading, etc., but this morning it started to overflow. As in Mount Vesuvius. So I decided to tackle the mess.

And I made an even bigger mess.

Why, oh why do I ever start organizing? It only leads to anxiety and blog posts when I should be doing other things, like getting ready for a women's retreat I'm speaking at in two weeks. Argh!

Anyway, I thought maybe you'd like a tour of this mess. Because touring other people's messes is always such a thrill, but it just might make you feel somewhat O.K. about your own messes. Or maybe I'm doing this for me because by writing my way through it I might actually be able to figure out what to do with it all.

So really, you're helping me out. Thank you.

So here goes. A little insight into my very messy work habits.

First you see my computer in the foreground. On top of it is a church bulletin from last May with some notes I wanted to save. If I take notes in church (which is probably about half the time) I type them into a file I have titled, creatively, "Sermon Notes." And then I throw away the bulletin. But usually there are about 10 church bulletins floating around various locations in my house, from the top of my desk to my catch-all basket or even shoved into my Bible. All from at least 6 months ago.

Help me!

To the right of my computer sits my Bible with my glasses on top. Can't really do much without either of those.

And to the right of my Bible--all those file folders?--are projects I'm currently working on or old project files that need to be, well, filed. A women's retreat. Two Christmas teas. A retreat I did way back in March.

I'm hopeless.

Behind those files, further to the right, is a pile of garbage. Walking it there now . . . .

I'm back.

Now let's look to the left of the chair. These are all things I just don't have a clue what to do with.

The yellow binder pile is some old literature notes from college. College! That was more than 25 years ago, folks! Not that the binder has been sitting there for 25 years--I'm sure I was using it for something within the past year. What do you think? Time to take it back to the box in the basement?

The pile behind the yellow binder and to the left is a stack of books I'm currently using for research or reading for pleasure. I'm one of those people who can't read more than one book at a time, so the stack is pretty small. It's the only pile that should go back in the basket.

And then there's this.

Twelve books, not all mine, that have been lying around my room collecting dust for who knows how long. Some are borrowed. Some were given to me at various events. Some are actually mine. But do you have any idea how long it would take me to actually read all of these books? Pretty much forever.

I'm not a very fast reader.

Besides, without naming names, (*cough, cough* Joyce Meyer *cough, cough*), I'm just not that into you.

It's time to give these books back to their rightful owners, to put them back on my bookshelf, or to just chuck them into a box in the basement. If they haven't been read already (a few have!) they just are not going to be read any time soon.

Besides, a quick glance next to my bed would reveal a stack of four more books that I need to read.

Ah, me. I'm a mess. But I'm working on it, and today is a good start.

How about you? Are you a mess too? (Please tell me you are.) What areas of your house need to be tackled today?