Wednesday, February 25, 2009. I like to do my office administrative work in stages.  Like I may open all the mail at one time, and sort it out as its opened.  Another time I’ll log it all in.  Another time I’ll make up the deposit.  I find doing it in small snippets makes it more manageable nd not seem too much like work.

I’m not an overly neat and tidy person, but I like to have a place for everything and keep everything relatively in its place.  Granted I do have stacks of papers and books in lines and stacks in the office and home, but it’s not dirty or cluttered, simply disheveled.  When I’m working on something, like cooking or anything else that creates trash, I clean up as I go along so I always have a clear work surface and walking area.  And also so that I don’t have a big mess to clean up afterward.

I can find myself falling into nonproductive habits however, if I’m not mindful.  Like using a cup and not washing it out for the next cup of tea, so I may end up with 6 cups in the sink at the end of a day.  Or 4 spoons in the sink, one for each time I took a bite of cottage cheese (mixed with scallions!).   Another thing I do if I’m not mindful is start piling boxes and envelopes near the door to take out into the garage for recycling.  Instead of walking the extra 20 feet into the garage right then, I’ll stack them next to the door for the next time I go into the garage.  When I catch myself doing that, I do a massive cleanup so I don’t turn into one of those people whose every square inch of living space is filled with stuff.  It used to be hard for me to part with items, but not so much now.

I work in stages doing my yard and garden work as well.  I’ll go out with the clippers and make some cuts here and there.  I’ll toss the cuttings to be discarded on the ground (mostly my eleagnus) and I’ll take the ones I’m rooting (mostly my turk’s cap and arbicola) and go plant them right away and get some water on them.

Then as I walk the trails, I’ll cut the palm fronds and toss them at the entrance to the trail.  When I’m doing my clipping and pruning, I’m usually not dressed for heavy yard work. Another day I’ll take my walk outside wearing my work boots and overalls and long sleeves and gloves and I can pick up all the thorny branches and fronds at one time and get them to the street.  Another day I’ll carry a pail out with me so I can pick up as many air potatoes as I can find on the ground and beneath the underbrush.

When I do it that way, it never seems like I am doing too much work at a time.

I think I might just be lazy though.  I’m never sure which.

As long as I’m having fun and being productive, though, either way I win.

You, too.