9. Desk Dynamics. | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

The 10 Chaotic Perks Of Having A Messy Desk

Better a messy desk than an empty one.

252
https://unsplash.com/photos/QLqNalPe0RA
Andrew Neel

In This Article:

Work is just as important as the space you work in. A hard day's work shows through all the filled notebooks, loose papers, and discarded pens. There is a method to the madness, so here are 10 perks to having a messy desk.

1. Hot mess, hot desk.

Giphy

Some people look at your desk and think it's an eyesore. When you and others look at it, you can't but admire the spectacle. Everything is placed in such a way that draws the eye low and high. Still life is interesting at your desk.

2. Location, location, location.

media.giphy.com

Receipts from months ago are still where you left them. That decorative letter opener rarely gets used but it makes for a nice ritual when you do. The things on your desk are placed in a way that only you understand. Good luck code-breakers.

3. Chaos in control.

Giphy

No mess is ever the same as another mess. You know where things are but you also know how to tame the tides of change that come with it. Your desk is like jazz, it's a controlled chaos where you follow the rhythms and make beautiful music out of work.

4. All-in-one.

Giphy

Sure, it's a maze covered in clutter, but you can't deny that everything you need is there. You might have to go under, over, or even through piles and mountains, but it's a search that brings unbridled curiosity, conviction, and surprises every time.

5. Walls have ears, desks have mouths.

Giphy

There's no greater analogy for how you approach your style of messy desk than the way you approach your own vomit. What makes a desk messy is no mystery, but what makes that mess unique is a different story. Vomit asks, "What did you eat?" and a desk asks, "What is it this time?" What this disgusting analogy shows is that desks are not just furniture pieces, there conversation pieces as well.

6. Mad Minimalists.

media.giphy.com

We get it, less is more, but when we see more, we're not overwhelmed so easily. In fact, a comfort can be had from an abundance of stuff. Don't call it hoarding either. It works for us and it keeps us working. Here's another saying for the minimalists: the more the merrier.

7. Variety Hour.

media.giphy.com

Work should be your play. When you sit down at your desk, you should enjoy the time you put in there. All work doesn't have to be your playeyesore can be great to play something else too. Whatever drives your joy at the desk, keep it going.

8. Work Made Tangible.

media.giphy.com

Sitting down with a blank slate can be intimidating, but not as rewarding as being surrounded by all your hard work. To know that a final draft or document is eyesore your reach to see and to hold makes new work more exciting. Be confident, be creative, be concrete.

9. Desk Dynamics.

media.giphy.com

There is no right way to work at your desk. The only rule is that there are no rules. Work is personal. You like stacking your books precariously close to the edge of your desk, so be it. You still use pencils sharpened down to the eraser because it's fun, more power to you. The desk is your foundation to build off of however you like.

10. Find your best at your desk.

media.giphy.com

Whether your desk is messy or hurricane messy, no one can judge your results. The process changes with you or there's so much attention and eyesore that the process doesn't need to change. Either way, this is the zen of the messy desk. You are one with the desk.

On the surface, a messy desk is just a mess you have to clean up. To the one behind the desk, "messy" does not mean "disorderly." "Messy" means "a work in process."

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Things You Can Get Away With Now That You're At College

83% of my trends in college would have been shamed in high school.

726
college life
Google Images

Transitioning from high school to college can be a stressful experience, especially if you're like me and hate change. Over the past two years I've realized there's many things I couldn't get away with in High School that are typically applauded in college.

1. Eat

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf

Life is hard. You know what makes it even more tough? Living with chronic b*tch face (CBF). This condition is so debilitating that I have decided to chronicle the 10 things everyone who suffers from CBF experiences. Who better to help me than the queen of CBF herself, Blair Waldorf?

Keep Reading...Show less
Harvard Students

I thought senioritis in high school was rough until I became a college senior about to go into the real world. I'm supposed to have everything figured out, right? I mean I went through four years of tough classes and serious self-searching (and crying). What I found overall was Senioritis sneaking up on me.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

8 Texts You Get From Your High School Friends

You might not see them everyday anymore, but you're still friends and your text messages prove it.

541
High School Friends
Ashlynn West

It takes a little while to get used to not seeing your high school best friends every day. Going away to college causes a lot of changes, but one thing that will never change is my love for my high school BFFs, and the texts that I get from them. Here are just 8 of the texts I get from them on the weekly:

Keep Reading...Show less
legally blonde

College is filled with many things, and we're so often lectured to make the right decisions as we head out on our own into the college life. But sometimes it's necessary to indulge in some guilty pleasures as well as just doing things because you can. And honestly, a lot of the time it's inevitable. College is no piece of cake that's for sure, so it's okay to do some things you deep down know you shouldn't....once in a while anyways.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments