The train of thought has been derailed

I start water so I can throw in a load of laundry.

In the laundry cupboard I notice the magnetic pencil holder bought from IKEA a couple years ago that I never hung up.

I go upstairs to put it on the fridge.

I grab the pens/pencils in the current holder on the pantry door to transfer them and realize half don't work and half don't belong there.

Decide to weed out and keep only the great ones.  Never mind the breakfast still all over the kitchen table.  This is urgent.

Wonder why there is not one sharpened pencil in the whole mess.

Go upstairs to the pencil sharpener and begin sharpening.  It's not working.

Is something jammed in there?  There are screws on the motor housing; should I take it apart and check?

Decide not to.

While sitting there at my craft desk I figure I might as well work on a quick valentine.

Wait, what's that noise?

The washer is running - with water and soap - but no clothes.  I never threw the load in.

Toss the kids' hamper contents down the stairs toward the laundry room.

On the way past the living room I see my scriptures sitting on the table. 

See, we have a storage ottoman that everyone keeps their scriptures in, and after morning study at 7, the family members put theirs away. 

Except for me; I leave mine out till I do my personal reading.  You know, to remind me.  Sometimes they stay out most of the day.  Most of the time I get it done by lunch, though.

So I tell myself I will get the laundry going and then read.  I promise I will.  Unless I decide to unload the dishwasher.

It's like a twisted version of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie", only for distracted homemakers.

So how do I change this?  Those of you who do your primary "work" at home, do you face a similar dilemma?