Sometimes when life feels disorderly I go on a cleaning tear. Like a mad maid I dash around eliminating piles and tackling trash and stuffing things in boxes until I’m spent. It can be therapeutic, but it can also be a way of avoiding what I really need to be doing.
A more helpful alternative is this: put one thing in order regularly. It could be making your bed, cleaning your dishes after you eat or spending a few moments organizing your files at the end of the day. Ideally it should be something simple, something you can repeat without too much thought.
I like to clear my desk. Before and after working I put the papers away and shelve the laptop. Here’s three benefits I’ve seen from this small routine:
1. It sets boundaries. It creates a clear visual signal about when I’m working and when I’m not. With a desk that stays cluttered, you get the sense that the green light is always on. There’s always one more thing to do, one more line to edit.
2. It’s a buffer between one block of time and the next. Too often I rush in and attack the first thing that catches my attention. Taking things out again slows me down and helps me think about what I’m going to work on and how I want to do it.
3. It creates momentum. Sometimes big results begin with a small push. Setting one thing in order starts a domino effect that hopefully carries over into all the domains of life.
show & tell 