The Power of the Clean Desk

Few months ago my desk in the office looked like a big alien monster with countless sheets and pieces of paper, stickies, ten different pens and pencils, mugs, notebooks and all that stuff that piles up while you work months and years on one place.
This white-yellow-blue pile generated a lot of stress and anxiety in my soul. So, one day I decided to fix it up. Here’s what I have done:
- I have taken all documents concerning dead/finished projects and stored them in archive boxes. I put these boxes in a special cabinet close to my desk.
- I have ordered all documents concerning current projects on folders - one folder per project. I put these folders in a cabinet, too.
- I have thrown away all Post-it! pieces, stickies, etc.
- I have left only one pen on the desk.
- I have left only one notebook on my desk.
I cannot describe the pleasure (even - ecstasy) which I felt when I saw my “new” desk. It now contained:
- My computer.
- My phone.
- A pen.
- A notebook.
- Nothing more.
I can tell that now it is a pure pleasure to work, write or just surf sitting behind my desk. I now feel (an unknown before) calmness and freedom. Now I am free of the yoke of paper. I call my desk - “The Paperless Desk” and I am proud of it! ![]()

















2 comments
I agree with you on this one. But the trick is keeping it that way.
I clean mu desk once in a while and make it paperless. But over time, paper piles up and I am back to square one. I guess you are better than me on that aspect.
The trick of KEEPING your desk clean is to establish certain procedures and processes about what happens with every sheet of paper you get on your desk.
I keep on my desk only the papers for the project I am working on. All other papers are thrown away or kept in folders.
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