It really, really works. Have you tried it? Simply put stacks of books back on the shelf, file piles of receipts and research notes and organize the other scattered papers, sticky notes, etc. in neat stacks and just see how much better you feel. Your cluttered mind will clear. Your writers block may even be cured. And your cat will have a place to sit and look out the window—although my cats seem to prefer lying on an open book or a messy pile of paperwork—especially if that’s what I’m trying to work on at the moment. Sigh!
This morning, I did some de-cluttering of my desk. I also made room in my office storage closet for two cartons of books I hadn’t put away yet and a new shipment of bubble mailers. Now the cats even have room to romp and play in my office. Ahhhh, it’s like a breath of fresh air. But then I like order and elbow room.
What physical or environmental conditions are most conducive to your best work? Are you like me—you prefer open spaces and order? And, like me, do you sometimes find yourself buried in paperwork, research material and important notes stuck here and there? What does that do to your productivity? For me, if it’s coupled with a list of details I need to handle, I can change from an organized thinker to a rather scattered, less efficient individual.
Maybe you do your best work when you are surrounded by clutter. Why do you think this is? Or do your surroundings simply not matter to you? If you feel that your surroundings don’t matter to you, let me ask if you are also oblivious to aesthetics in buildings, stores, hotels, homes, etc. I mean, can you truly enter a lovely home, hotel lobby or beautiful poolside patio that is impeccably organized and well-decorated with exquisite lighting features and soft music in the background and not feel the ambiance? Heck, I’m affected by the much nicer atmosphere in our newly remodeled and decorated grocery store in our neighborhood. Most people react in some way to their environments—by buying more fresh vegetables because they look so good in the lighting, relaxing in certain surroundings and even getting caught up in the excitement when entering a colorfully, creatively decorated hall.
Some people actually believe that a messy desk indicates a busy worker. But, for the home-worker/writer, it isn’t about what other people think. It’s about creating and maintaining the area so that you feel like working—so that you can be creative.
Have you been a bit lax with your latest writing project? Maybe you aren’t suffering from burnout. Maybe you just haven’t created the best working environment for yourself, yet. Take a look around you. Make some changes and then report back to me at this blog as to the results.
I find that no matter how often I clean my desk, it goes right back to being cluttered. My optimal workspace is a large area where I can spread things out–in piles that make sense to me–so that I can visualize everything coming together. When I work on a research project, this tendency is even more pronounced, and I usually take everything to the living room to spread out on the floor. I will then lose myself for several hours as I work through the piles, take notes, reorder things, and have fun with color-coding information. I prefer to live–and work–in contained clutter.