Day 3,226 - Your Desk Is Your Brain

This article explores the idea that your desk is a reflection of your mind. It suggests that the clutter and organization of your workspace can mirror your thoughts, priorities, and even avoided decisions. The author challenges readers to organize their desks as a way to clear their minds.

Show Notes

Look at your desk right now. The one you work at, if you have one. You are not just looking at your desk; you're looking at your brain. Is it messy, chaotic, and disorganized? Perhaps it is structured and clean with everything in the proper place? Are there doodles everywhere, discarded candy wrappers perhaps? Are there notes of things that were really important to remember from months ago? What you are looking at is not just a messy desk, you are looking at a snapshot of what your brain looks like as well.

Now, I am not suggesting that a clean desk means you are intelligent or that a messy desk means you are not. I have known some brilliant people who operate in complete chaos. However, I do believe that our physical environment is often a reflection of the things we are allowing to occupy our minds.

Consider that stack of papers sitting off to the side. Why is it there? Perhaps it represents decisions you have been avoiding. That sticky note with a phone number on it? Maybe that is a conversation you have been putting off. That unfinished project sitting in the corner? Perhaps it represents something you started with great enthusiasm but never found the discipline to finish.

We tend to think of our thoughts as something completely separate from our physical surroundings, but I am beginning to believe that the two are far more connected than we realize. We leave things on our desks because we do not want to forget them. Eventually, however, we become so accustomed to seeing them that we forget them anyway.

I have noticed something about myself. When I take the time to organize my workspace, I often find myself organizing my thoughts at the same time. I am forced to make decisions. Do I really need this? Is this still important? Why have I been holding on to this? Those questions are not really about the objects on my desk. They are about the priorities in my life.

Perhaps the exercise we should all consider is not simply cleaning our desks, but deliberately deciding what deserves to remain there.

So here is my challenge for today. Take fifteen minutes and examine your desk. Pick up each item and ask yourself why it is there. Make a decision about it. Keep it, act on it, or get rid of it.

You might discover that you are doing something far more important than cleaning a desk.

You might just be clearing your mind.

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This is day. 3226. Your desk is your brain.
Look at your desk right now.
The one that you work at if you have one.
Maybe it's your truck.
You are not just looking at your own desk. You are looking at your brain. Is it messy chaotic and disorganized?
Perhaps it is structured and clean with everything in the proper place not mine. Are there Doodles everywhere discarded candy wrappers? Perhaps are there notes of things that were really important to remember from months ago.
What are what you are looking at is not just a messy desk.
You are looking at a snapshot of what your brain looks like as well.
Now I'm not suggesting that a clean desk means you are intelligent or that a messy desk means you or not. I have known some brilliant people who operating complete chaos. However, I do believe that our physical environment is often reflection of the things that we are allowing to occupy our minds.
Consider that stack of paper setting off to the side. Why is it there?
Perhaps it represents decisions that you've been avoiding that sticking out with a phone number on it. Maybe that is a conversation you've been putting off.
That unfinished projects sitting in the corner, perhaps it represents something you started with great enthusiasm, but you never found the discipline to finish.
We tend to think of our thoughts as something completely separate from our physical surroundings, but I'm beginning to believe that those two are far more connected than we realize we leave things on our desks because we do not want to forget them eventually. However, we become so accustomed to seeing them that we forget them anyway.
I've noticed something about myself when I take the time to organize my workspace. I often find myself organized in my thoughts at the exact same time.
I'm forced to make decisions. Do I really need this? Is this still important? What have I been? Why have I been even holding on to this?
Those questions are not really about the objects on my desk. There are about the priorities in my life.
Perhaps the exercise we should all consider is not simply cleaning out our desks, but deliberately deciding what deserves to remain there.
So here's my challenge for today or tomorrow take 15 minutes and examine your desk pick up each item and ask yourself. Why it is there make a decision about it. Keep it act on it or get rid of it.
You might discover that you are doing something far more important than cleaning the desk. You might just be cleaning your mind.