Since my mind was in the “productivity-article” mood, this was supposed to be an article about how a clean desk really helps you. It’s one of the habits I started with the new year, and I’m really happy with the results.
Shiny Clean!Not because “it’s easier to find things” or “it’s a sign of a disciplined mind” - I usually find things through Google, and you couldn’t discipline my mind if you locked it up. No, it gives me peace of mind. There are no visual distractions, I don’t feel like I should be doing something else or an important paper is lost in the shuffle. It’s really just an outflow of GTD’s “freeing your mind”. It’s just that in this case, you free your view.
But the really interesting thing happened when I did some research for the article. I wanted to see what other people had to say about clean or messy desks - it’s always nice to spice things up with a couple of interesting quotes.
One of the first articles I found mentioned a study on how much time a clean desk saves you. I thought the number to be a bit high and tried to find the original study. What I found instead was another article with the exact same wording. And a third, fourth, fifth…. And none of them mentions a source.
Here is the whole quote:
“Out of sight, out of mind.” The reverse of that is true too. When it’s in sight, it’s in mind and we cannot help but be distracted. Studies have shown that a person working with a messy desk will spend, on average, one and a half hours per day either being distracted by things in their view or looking for things. That’s seven and a half hours per week. Keep the clutter before you at a minimum and you will have a more accurate focus on what you need to do to increase your daily productivity.
A bit more research reveals that the most likely source of this is a procrastination article by Dr. Donald Wetmore.
Since I’m still interested in the study, I contacted him to confirm that this is indeed his, and to find out where that study came from. I’ll keep you posted on progress.
To my fellow writers: It’s all fine and good to be inspired by others and to quote them. But wouldn’t you want an attribution, too, if it was your article?
Tags: productivity,clean desk,mystery
Hi Robert, Found your blog. Good idea to keep your desk clean! I’d say: it’ll save even more time when your piles are high enough! I am interested too in the outcome of your research. Hope to read it! John