Clearing Off The Desk

“It’s pointless to have a nice clean desk, because it means you’re not doing anything.”–Michio Kaku

Dr. Kaku’s quip is one of my favorite sayings about the subject of desks. I sometimes remember it when my desk becomes cluttered but I still feel too lazy to clear it. A couple of weekends ago, I searched high and low for a Post It Note that contained the landline phone number of a new acquaintance. She does not own a mobile phone, so I had jotted the number down–intending to file it in my Rolodex later.

During the search, I decided to clean off the entire desk top because the surface needed to be dusted anyway. A few minutes into the clearing process, I discovered the missing phone number, then promptly copied it onto a Rolodex card.

Then I removed everything else from the top of the desk. There were several receipts to file away, a couple of gadgets to return to their proper places inside of a cabinet, and a few wristwatches went back to the bedroom. After these were accomplished, I dusted and polished the vintage wood veneer surface.

“One sits the whole day at the desk and appetite is standing next to me. ‘Away with you’, I say. But Comrade Appetite does not budge from the spot.”–Leonid Brezhnev

Soon afterwards the lamp, the mug of pens, the weather monitoring device, and my laptops were put back in place. The desk will hopefully look spic and span for awhile longer as I try to be more mindful of workspace clutter.

I mention this mundane little escapade now because today is “National Clear off Your Desk Day”. The idea behind this unofficial holiday is to begin the year with a clean, organized workspace so as to enable more efficiency and productivity. Also, a clean space is a more serene place.

Meantime, this short post is finished; that means it’s time to refill the empty coffee mug that is parked on my desk.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness likes this quote from essayist, novelist, and short story writer, Haruki Murakami. “I get up early in the morning, 4 o’clock, and I sit at my desk and what I do is just dream. After three or four hours, that’s enough….”