Keeping a clean workspace can be the difference between a scattered day of stress or a productive day of crushing work. The more physical clutter you work with, the more challenging it is to clear your mind and focus on the tasks at hand. Think about the glorifying sense of accomplishment you have after cleaning your house or apartment and believe me when I say the same goes for your desk.
My desk consists of:
- Macbook Pro, stand and second monitor
- A small cup of new sharpies, highlighters, G-2 Pilot pens and a couple shaders
- An open file folder to keep recent sketches and scratch paper available
- A small container for sticky notes, paper clips and tape
Yes. That's really it. I am ruthless about getting clutter off my desk because if I have piles of sketches, empty Coke cans, Nerf darts, notepads and markers everywhere I'll have a tough time focusing on my work instead of trying to make sure I don't rest my arms in Starburst wrappers. There is something to be said for clarity of physical space and how that can boost mental clarity. As the adage goes, "out of sight, out of mind." Get the junk off your desk and out of sight.
Now, I know this isn't true for everyone. Our engineer Matt has apparently perfected the pile technique, but for mere mortals keeping a clean desk will help you focus on what matters: crushing your work!
Here at ZURB, we're pretty good about keeping our workspaces clean, what about you? Are you a master of zen cleanliness or do you save your time and just keep working among the mess?