Is your desk neat or messy?

@Idlewild (6090)
United States
January 2, 2007 9:07am CST
A new book argues that a messy desk actually has order underlying it. And it suggests that the costs of being neat and well-organized often outweigh the benefits. The book is called 'A Perfect Mess.' Is your desk neat or messy, and does your organizing style (or lack thereof) work well for you?
9 people like this
35 responses
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
2 Jan 07
to me a tidy desk is the sign of a sick mind, im far too busy to bother tidying my desk far too much work to do
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I'm always suspicious of people who have extremely neat desks... I wonder whether they really do any work at all, or just straighten their things? LOL But really I do know some people who seem to just organize things in their minds, so a neat desk is easy for them.
1 person likes this
@lpetges (3036)
• United States
18 Feb 07
its not so much messy on top, but underneath-oh boy... i have a tendency to not throw out paperwork.. so that is my problem right there.
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
18 Feb 07
I can't seem to throw away papers, either, and also have drawers, boxes, etc. that I stuff things in--and promptly forget about. ;-)
@anjuscor (1266)
• India
3 Jan 07
My Desk is always mesed up with all the things whcih i keep. I keep keys, papers, system, chocolates, adapters, laptop, lip guards, my hair clips, match boxes, tissue papers a lot of other things. I will clean it up once in a weekend. That is it. Or else it would be messed up most of the time at home. But at work, i try to keep my desk clean, but others spoil it by eating food, spilling coffe or tea, keeping tissue papers. But when am at my desk, i clean up everything. So clean at work, dirty and messed up at home. LOL.
2 people like this
@Chapman15 (1492)
• United States
3 Jan 07
My desk is always messy with old and new stuff piled together! I think that I'm really good at knowing my mess though, because when I need to find something it really doesn't take me very long to do it!
2 people like this
• United States
4 Jan 07
my desk at work was messy with order my desk at home is messy and just plain no sense! lol it's not horribly messy... but can sometimes get a bit messier than desired for sure!
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
4 Jan 07
For me working at home is kind of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it serves two purposes so it can get twice as messy. On the other hand, Everything for my work and personal life is there, so I never have to worry which personal papers I may have left at the office over the weekend!
1 person likes this
• Germany
15 Jan 07
Well I am not that much of an organized person and usually my desk is messy but for me its no problem. It works well for me.
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
15 Jan 07
It seems there are all different styles. As long as a method works well for a person, it's not a problem.
1 person likes this
3 Jan 07
My desk is always a right mess. I know where everything is but I always have a lot to do so tend to keep all my unfinished jobs lying around on my desk so that I see them and they get done. Probably not the most organised way to do things.
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
4 Jan 07
I need to see things, too. I have a side return on my desk to give me more space, and I have a couple of hutches where I can put things in plain view so I don't forget that I have to deal with them. It probably looks intimidating to outsiders, but for me it's good to see everything that needs to be done so it's not forgotten.
1 person likes this
• Pakistan
18 Jan 07
My desk, my school bag, my cupboard, my locker, my all stuff holders are messed up with their particular stuffs because I like messy things and I do keep all my furniture on which my things can be spreaded are messy.
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
18 Jan 07
Sounds like you definitely prefer the messy approach! I hope you can find everything when you need it, if I get too messy I don't know where anything is.
1 person likes this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
3 Jan 07
I commonly call my desk the "Crap Desk". This is because everyone has to drop their crap off on my desk. It is really annoying. I know some of it is the kids school work they show me and try to refuse to let me throw away. But even junk mail is dropped off on my desk. Magazine that no one gts a chance to read are dropped on my desk and forgotten. Mail that needs to be kept but not needed at hand. Disks, CDs, pens, paper, certificates, and geesh so much more! So, once a month, I have to go through my desk and make it less of a mess. But when I am done, I still feel it is too cluttered! But I have to agree. Even though it can look llike a mess, it is organized. The top right corner cubby is where all the bills or mail that needs to be kept...bank statements, notices of medical bills that we intend to pay but can not right now, stamps, etc. To the left in the same cubby, are receipts so if for some reason we need to return something, I know where to look. The middle cubby has my eldest child's banking stuff. Deposit slips, his register, etc. I will not go through what every cubby and pile on my desk is...but the point is, if someone walks into my house, one would think that my desk is a mess especially when compared to the rest of the house. So, I would have to say that a mess can be organized.:)
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
3 Jan 07
At least you have kids as a reason for your desk being a mess. I live alone so I can't blame anyone but myself for the mess displayed in front of me every morning!
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
3 Jan 07
I always have papers on my desk. Somehow it is growing, maybe because I do not like paperwork.:)
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
3 Jan 07
Remember years ago when it was predicted that computers would save us all time and lead to the 'paperless office'? Yeah, right! Thanks to computers we now have more paper and forms than ever. Much of the mess on my desk is paper of one kind or another.
1 person likes this
• Pakistan
2 Jan 07
my desk is very neat and clean, when i go to study, it is cleaned, when i get off it is messed, then i clean it up.
2 people like this
@armywifey (883)
• United States
2 Jan 07
messy desk - A man buried under a pile of work, spilled over from his messy desk.
My desk tend to be pretty messy because i have 100 things going on at once. It is not a problem for me because I am able to find things when I need them. I do organize it at the end of the day when I am done working so I have a clean slate when I get up and start over agin in the morning.
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
2 Jan 07
My desk is messy, and unfortunately I HAVE lost things in there--rebate checks that have expired, bills, etc. I really need to make things more organized and learn to throw stuff away (I tend to keep everything that comes across my desk).
1 person likes this
@WebMann (4731)
• Canada
2 Jan 07
It's all perception. To you my desk would look messy along with my closet and my books shelves. :) To me, a PILER, I know exactly where everything is. You can ask me to find something that would be in the middle of a pile and I can walk right over and retrieve it. My mind just works that way. To my wife it's a mess, but it's my mess and she has learned to just keep my office door closed to all. Ha I do periodically clean it all up and show my wife how nice it looks and then over time I let it all accumulate again. It's just easier to keep it all close than to get up and file or place things in a nice neat row.
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I wish I could find things in the piles at my workstation. Once something is buried under some paper there's a 50-50 chance I'll totally forget it's there.
1 person likes this
@coolcat123 (4387)
• India
2 Jan 07
my desk is usually unclean,every thing is not placed in its right position.its all messed up and thats why my mother always shouts at me and forces me clean it up every time.
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
2 Jan 07
Part of my problem is that I don't have a right position for everything. I really need to totally clear off my work spaces and only put back what actually needs to be there on a daily basis.
1 person likes this
@gadheeraj (446)
• India
2 Jan 07
i feel mine is the best in da world...hahahhh just kiddin....my mum always yells at me fr messin up my desk....she always cleans it n my onl job is to make it mesyyyy
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
2 Jan 07
Now that's what I need, someone to come by and straighten up my desk for me. That way I wouldn't have to worry about it at all!
1 person likes this
• India
3 Jan 07
i strive to maintain it as clean as possible... but it seriously depends on the work load i get... hehe....
2 people like this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
3 Jan 07
I know the feeling... the more work I get, the harder it is to keep everything in order. I try to make up piles or folders for things that need to be done by the end of the day, in the next couple of days, by the end of the week, etc. At the end fo each day I update the folders.
1 person likes this
@nancyrowina (3850)
10 Nov 07
My desk is a mess and so is the rest of my flat generally, too much time spent here and on my blog lol. I must but this book though as then I can argue with my father about why it's not really that bad if things are messy and that I know where things are really.
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
12 Nov 07
I need to check that book out of the library. I can't see the point in making my desk super-neat, but it often gets so messy I can't find things or important documents get buried or lost.
10 Nov 07
Just looked at Amazon UK and it's not been released here yet but I can pre-order it.
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
21 May 08
oh, if only! I just straightened it up today but there is still too mcuh stuff on it. part of the problem is the location of my desk - it is right in the pathway to several other parts of the house and all members of the family like to set things on my desk - as they pass by it.
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
25 May 08
I live alone, so I can't blame anyone but myself for dumping stuff on my desk.
@Arshian (476)
• Pakistan
29 Sep 07
well my desk is always made by my sister i always make it messy but my sisiter keeps it in order :)
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
1 Oct 07
Funny you should say that, I also have a sister (older than me) who is very organized and in fact does work organizing other people's work. Unfortunately she lives several hundred miles from me, too far away for her to help me organize my desk...
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
12 Nov 07
Yep, I'm on my own... gotta keep it organized all by myself!
@Arshian (476)
• Pakistan
2 Oct 07
ohhh sorry but you have to make your desk yourself :)
1 person likes this
24 Dec 07
yes, i rather agree on the view form the book. i'm just the one who has a messy desk . no hiding that maybe it looks so messy that one cannot quickly find something you need from such a desk,but actually i remember where everything is put. in addition, i have more time to do other tings as i spend few time on taking up my desk. yes, i think i have had the perfect mess for a long time.hehe... happy posting!
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
2 Jan 08
Yes, I spend new year's day organizing and straightening things. Happy new year to you, too!
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
29 Dec 07
I can never remember where things are, if they're not in plain sight. With me, it's "out of sight, out of mind."
30 Dec 07
thanks for your comment. according to your situation,you should to spend more time on taking up your desk in case of that you cannot remember where your things are put. happy new year!
1 person likes this
@rashmigs (400)
• Singapore
29 Feb 08
Well is that so? I never knew about this stuff "A Perfect Mess"! Well, my desk is utter messy... Its always that way on fridays.... I clean my desk and my shelves during the weekends :) So it wil be clean on Mondays,tuesdays... and slowly things pile up and they become really messy :) Cant help it :) Well, there is an underlying order behind it, as u said ;)
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
1 Mar 08
Sounds like a good system. I like starting the day or week with an orderly work area.
31 May 08
My desk is not totally messy and not so neat, it's somewhrere in the middle and it works for me. I can find almost everything:)
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
31 May 08
Sounds like you've achieved that happy middle point of messiness!