This is a precautionary tale about what happens to those who let things get away from them, little by little, month by month, year by year, until it’s too late before it’s discovered … there’s a problem.
I supposed it’s not the worst thing in the world. Other people have worse afflictions than mine.
But the problem has amassed to such an unmanageable extent, that I can no longer ignore the inescapable truth.
My desk is a mesk.
I know I’ve lost complete control, because I’ve reached the point where I can no longer put my hands on an item I need within a reasonably short period of time (if at all). It’s frustrating, because when you can’t find what you seek, any hope of further progress comes to a screeching halt.
See, I’ve got piles on my piles. Families are now all mixed up together. The Kramers are mixed up with the Blands. The Schröders are mixed up with the Edwards. The Beckers are mixed up with the Judds. Basically, the Germans are mixed up with the English. This is not good.
Reference books and CDs are scattered here and there. Half-completed projects are strewn over every surface. How many pens have I lost in here? This highlighter is dried up. Why do I still have it? How long has that half bottle of water been back there? A Good Housekeeping magazine? Aside from the irony, what’s that got to do with genealogy? And where’s my damn flash drive? I haven’t seen it in 2 years.
Once upon a time, I had all my stuff organized. All my papers were in their correct folders and labeled. All my projects were organized with research notes. All my photographs were scanned, cataloged and arranged in their proper albums. It was … beautiful (sniff).
Then one day, out of nowhere though quite innocently, the downward spiral began. A few years ago, I started working on an ambitious project involving German Catholic church records and a 1749 status animarum (census), then got sidetracked by another project involving Seelenregistern (soul registers) from 1655 and 1659 for another branch in a different village, then got sidetracked by another project of assembling family groups from abstracts of church registers from an another village, then got sidetracked by a task involving an analysis of wills and deeds and slave schedule records from Chatham, Lee and Moore counties in North Carolina…. and free-fall from there.
No, this is not a glorious mess. This is a hideous mess.
It could be a reality show. The Biggest Loser? No, more like Hoarders.
What I’m feeling, is overwhelming inertia, and I can’t go on like this. I want my organization back. I want my enjoyment back. I want my desk back. I want my flash drive back.
And I am determined to get them.
As I sit here, staring at my piles with a tear running down my cheek, it occurs to me that I won’t get anywhere, if I don’t start somewhere. Anywhere. Pick up a piece of paper. Identify it. Sort it. Move on to the next piece of paper.
One would think that should be simple enough, right? No, no, no! You would be wrong!
My two biggest obstacles:
1) Getting sidetracked. This is where I’ve had the most difficulty. I’ll pickup my first piece of paper for sorting and ….. What a minute! This is interesting!! I don’t think I’ve noticed this before!!! I’d better get on the internet and investigate this revelation … right away, because this won’t wait one second longer! I can’t sort NOW … I’m … I’m … researching!!!
I fall into this specific trap every.single.time. So this time, what I’m going to do while I’m sorting is make notes for future research in a separate log. I will not stop my sorting, run to the computer and start looking things up. I will stay away from the Google!
2) Time. Time is a luxury of which I have far too little. However, the good news (?) is that I’m having my gallbladder plucked out on Friday, so I’m going to have to stay put for maybe up to a week. This would normally drive me absolutely stark-raving bat-shit mad. But now, it seems this respite from my normally harried existence would be a good time to do something useful while I’m sitting around, doing nothing else but waiting for my innards to heal. No soap operas and bonbons for me. I’m going to be … sorting.
My plan of attack:
Currently, I have about 30 surname file folders. I probably need another 30 (possibly more), as my current surname file folders are much too thick. I also need to set up more file folders for locations – Iowa, Wisconsin and North Carolina research, probably broken down further by counties - and files for each of the different regions in Germany I’m researching. I will probably also need to set up a few folders for subject projects like those I mentioned earlier. I have some larger accordion-type file folders for those.
Then, I’ll tackle my piles, one document at a time. I will give the important documents/certificates a number, write down the number and name of the document in a log, referencing the surname/location, the research subject/description and my thoughts for any future research, then put the document in its proper file, and move on to the next document. I'll separate out and label those items that require further investigation. Later, once this sorting/coding project is done, I’ll go back and do the follow-up research I’d been intensely resisting.
Since I use the LDS Research Centers a lot, I also need to organize my microfilm orders into a binder, along with a copy of the research notes, so I can easily determine what films I’ve already ordered and reviewed, what information/surnames I was looking for, and what information/surnames I found (if any). Ever order the same film twice without realizing you’ve already looked at it? Lately, I have.
This is a good start and will probably take me most of the time I’ll have off. I’ll have to sort and catalog the photographs I’ve accumulated at a later time. That’s a big project of its own.
The trick here then, is to remain focused like a laser on my sorting/organizing project, and avoid like the plague the usual pitfalls . Maybe I should ask my husband to disconnect and hide my computer. Or perhaps, booby-trap it. Possibly involving stunning levels of electricity.
So remember
DO
Good Desk
DON'T
Bad Desk