<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" id="d608d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9ed423a629c0d37c2656e280171eab6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Black's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Black</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
And if you let them keep growing, you will get
to a point where you will have ignored everything for so long that trying to
figure out what you really need to do will be such a major project that you
will feel totally overwhelmed.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDcwODM1N30._EaF8zXoN41PA0PbWtOJJKFT2dvMFNMTEddXJS_A4tE/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Mzc4MDM1N30.KriGb4zf79QLfz9YmdSOToUX9BYJUJWa6JRfmLI8WwI/img.png?width=980" id="c9ed3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef1b1a832d78638b7bd02706e1f21aca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Red's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Red</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
Too late, I'm already there. Any chance I can
wave a magic wand and make it all disappear? And start from a clean slate? And
a clean desk? And clean floors?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" id="d608d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9ed423a629c0d37c2656e280171eab6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Black's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Black</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
You and your magic wands! You have been watching
too much Disney. If you want to start clean — throw everything away and start
over.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDcwODM1N30._EaF8zXoN41PA0PbWtOJJKFT2dvMFNMTEddXJS_A4tE/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Mzc4MDM1N30.KriGb4zf79QLfz9YmdSOToUX9BYJUJWa6JRfmLI8WwI/img.png?width=980" id="c9ed3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef1b1a832d78638b7bd02706e1f21aca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Red's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Red</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
That's not an option! I know some things in
these piles can continue to be ignored, but I also know there are things hiding
in there that are important.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" id="d608d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9ed423a629c0d37c2656e280171eab6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Black's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Black</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
If you can not throw the piles away you have no
other option than to go through them. The good news is it is more important to
know what you are ignoring than it is to actually deal with everything in the
piles. Make it a two-prong attack.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDcwODM1N30._EaF8zXoN41PA0PbWtOJJKFT2dvMFNMTEddXJS_A4tE/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Mzc4MDM1N30.KriGb4zf79QLfz9YmdSOToUX9BYJUJWa6JRfmLI8WwI/img.png?width=980" id="c9ed3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef1b1a832d78638b7bd02706e1f21aca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Red's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Red</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
You
have not seen these piles. Two-prong? Try twelve-prong.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" id="d608d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9ed423a629c0d37c2656e280171eab6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Black's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Black</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
That
is one of the things I hate about IM. You can keep interrupting me.
<br/>
<br/>
Remember
when we were doing your expenses and you sorted things into
"required" vs. "discretionary?" Well, you are going to do
something very similar with these piles. Take a handful off the top and start
sorting it into piles based on priority — immediate, this week, next week,
next month, next lifetime. If your piles are similar to mine, there will be
plenty of non-essential things, such as filing, reading (miscellaneous
magazine or newspaper articles) and general correspondence (things with no
deadlines). I would start separate piles for those.
<br/>
<br/>
Once
you get that done, keep only the most important piles on your desk. Move
everything else to the floor. Then you can focus on what is on your desk and
start to put together your "To Do" list based on the priority of
these papers. Obviously, if you have items that need to be done immediately,
you may have to stop your sorting and handle them, but otherwise keep
working.
<br/>
<br/>
If it makes you feel any better, I bet most of your piles will end up being things you can continue to ignore, or at least that are not important enough to earn a place on one of your beloved lists. In fact, I am sure that most of it will not even make it to your desk! Getting started is the hardest part, but it is something you can easily work on in 15-or 30-minute increments and make slow, but steady, progress. So get off IM and start.
<strong><em><span></span></em></strong>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDcwODM1N30._EaF8zXoN41PA0PbWtOJJKFT2dvMFNMTEddXJS_A4tE/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Mzc4MDM1N30.KriGb4zf79QLfz9YmdSOToUX9BYJUJWa6JRfmLI8WwI/img.png?width=980" id="c9ed3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef1b1a832d78638b7bd02706e1f21aca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Red's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Red</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
Are you done? Can I say something?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzAzMjg3MX0.PQQnGhinitQyefvDO3HpC3uRhN1T1XOrMNdU7hdges4/img.png?width=980" id="d608d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9ed423a629c0d37c2656e280171eab6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Black's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Black</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
Yes.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDcwODM1N30._EaF8zXoN41PA0PbWtOJJKFT2dvMFNMTEddXJS_A4tE/img.png?width=980" target="_blank"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzE5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Mzc4MDM1N30.KriGb4zf79QLfz9YmdSOToUX9BYJUJWa6JRfmLI8WwI/img.png?width=980" id="c9ed3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef1b1a832d78638b7bd02706e1f21aca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Red's Head" /></a>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Red</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
assets.rebelmouse.io
</small>
</p>
<p>
<br/>
</p>
</td>
<td>
Bye.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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