The Organized Writer

I'd planned to blog about how being organized can make your writing life easier.  And then I looked at my desk.  It would be hypocritical of me to write about it, when, with a quick look at my own desk, it's obvious that organization isn't one of my better skills.  Right?  Well, maybe not, since experience, both good and bad, is the best teacher.  And my desk isn't really as bad as it might be.  The pic on the right is probably as bad as any desk could be.  Luckily I've never been there, but I sure have felt like that poor woman looks.

We've all seen the sign that reads, 'a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind', quickly rebutted with 'a cluttered desk is the sign of genius'.  Or even better:

If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, Of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?

-- Albert Einstein

But, really, the condition of the top of the desk shouldn't matter to anyone but the user of the desk. For some people, having anything out of place is the sign of needing an all-day cleaning.  Others work better surrounded by the things they need or at least within reaching distance.  For a few, it's a visual thing.  An 'I know it isn't lost if I can see it' thing.  However, if you begin to feel overwhelmed, can't find what you just put down five minutes ago,  and/or have to move your keyboard to your lap to be able to use it, you might want to think about doing a quick clearing.  Put it all in a box, basket, or whatever will hold the absolute non-essentials (computer, keyboard, mouse, phone, etc.), then schedule a time to sort it all and put it where it belongs, whether the trash, a file cabinet, a drawer or the bathroom medicine cabinet.  Just make sure you do go through it and put things away, otherwise you'll be adding more boxes/baskets and soon be overwhelmed by the amount of things that must be sorted and in need of a new home. 

For a quick read that doesn't require running out to buy a how-to book on organizing, check out About.com's take on organizing: What's Wrong with a Messy Desk?  It includes suggestions on how to make being less messy a little easier.

Where do you fit in when it comes to organizing?

• Your desk
• Your office
• Your home
• Your life

What do you think would make it easier?  As a disorganized organized person, I'm always open for suggestions!