Just reading the concise summary of events in your post had me squirming with so much sympathy and also stress from remembering similar events in my own paperwork adventures.

Yeah, I think we have all been there: staring into space surrounded by piles. :-/ Yay for pulling yourself together and getting rubbish and recycling "gone" into their bins and everything back on the shelf!

Yes, Dana K White's method is gold for the no piles reason. Did you happen upon the document so far? If not, I am keeping my fingers crossed that you find it soon! But I think lots of progress is coming from this stressful forced tidying anyway...