This is something that I never thought I would see. Even in my most organized of times when I HAD to be because I had a family. This was an area in which I suffered greatly. That area is my desk.  I think I can lay a little blame though on the messy desk syndrome.

I’ve had a desk of some sort since I was probably eight years old. I have a great mom and maybe I haven’t said that enough, but I’ll say it here right now.  This woman started my first library and gave me my first desk which was a cute little beige number with I believe some gold trim. It had a hutch that sat on top of it to contain that first small library.  I loved the desk. Did all kinds of things on it that were not particularly “desky”. Like when I started painting my nails, nails were done on that desk. Clothes were housed on that desk and all other sort of miscellaneous items, to the point that the desk really wasn’t workable for its purpose, sitting down, reading and writing. What I didn’t know then and do know now is that I would have an on-going battle with the desk, which apparently is a long standing tradition.

In one of my other blogs I have a feature called “Daddy’s Office”. Daddy’s Office is about music but as referenced here it is about his desk, which was always atrocious, papers, everywhere, pipe cleaners (he used to smoke a pipe) an ashtray, zillions of sets of keys and all sorts of mayhem.  Every now and then while I was in the office, listening to music of course, that desk would distract me so that I would clean it, stack up the papers and get it into some sort of order. He would fuss (only a little bit), but I think he appreciated it because he desk organization skills were absolutely pitiful.

When we moved and I got my own room I got an upgrade. My sisters got the white desk. I got a bigger brown desk with the hutch of course, but it wasn’t attached, it was moved to a spot under a window were it was recessed and fit nicely.  Above that desk were pictures of Prince, a corkboard and school stuff. On that desk resided homework and books sometimes and junk most times.  My dad’s desk remained woefully junky and I continued to try to help him keep it together.  The next time the family moved I was in college and an additional desk entered a home after my departure. This one for my mother. She wasn’t any better. She is highly organized in every area but that desk. Again, atrocious.  Where she lives now, she has two desks, both of them are COVERED and have in my estimation a space probably letter size on both that doesn’t have something on it.  It’s crazy. My dad’s house has I believe three or 4 desks, all of which are covered. Oh I did forget to mention that in undergrad and grad I didn’t get any better. I had desks; I worked at them sometimes but mostly just let them catch clothes, papers and other items that again were not “desky”.  There was one place in between that I didn’t have a desk and as I recall, that was probably the cleanest place that I have in terms of paper and clothes control. But I digress. 

So through marriage, break up and all the rest, I had 2 desks and two tables that served as desks.  These desks always housed tons of papers, supplies and various computers, no clothes because I finally stopped having desks in the bedroom.  Right now I’m using a table because it turned out to be the size that I like and I’ve yet to find a desk that has those measurements to hold of course all those papers, computers and have area underneath to store more STUFF.

I moved last year to the spot I’m in now. Starting over from scratch.  I didn’t bring much but I did bring all of those papers, I didn’t really have time to do any sorting purging and such I just packed up and hauled. I wish I had, because this is what I ended up with.

I know this is REALLY bad. Every time I walked by, it drove me absolutely batty. I felt like not only was it an eyesore, clogging up my “office” but it was kind of clogging up my brain.  It was always on my mind but I just didn’t have the energy, the drive, the mental capability to tackle it.  Then in August of this year I decided I’d had enough. I’d pared down a lot of things, by accident and by purpose but that desk situation was the last stand or so I thought. 

I didn’t do a lot of consulting, I didn’t read much about what to keep or get rid of. I mean I’d done all of that research before. Read plenty of articles, books and blogs about it. I just buckled down and started chucking the stuff.  Getting through the mass of it was difficult but the actual parting of ways was pretty easy.  I didn’t get sentimental, I didn’t allow time for it I knew it would be counter-productive and that I wouldn’t make a change if I got hung up in sentimentality and I got it done.

This is what it looked like a week ago and it still looks like that.  I still don’t’ sit at it much unless I’m number crunching and I have to use a keyboard/keypad, however knowing that I can sit there at anytime without having to make a bunch of adjustments, without knocking stuff on the floor is absolutely satisfying.

I did learn some things from the process, some are repeat lessons or reinforcements, the first of which is I don’t need all of it.  There were papers in there that were totally irrelevant to my life right now. I no longer own the property it was attached to, the condition was treated, the event had passed, the information is old and no longer requires reading and so on. Secondly I learned that it’s best to really handle paper as soon as it enters the space. Mail goes to shred then recycle and some goes straight to recycle. The paper that remains, namely the few bills that still come via mail are paid within the week and once paid they are shredded then recycled. Thirdly, I found out that I’m not as sentimental as I thought.  Stuff that I feel like I want to remember and want a trigger for it, I take a picture of it and let it go.  Lastly and most importantly is that I learned that regardless of what I thought of my ability to function within chaos, I’m really not that good at it. I’m most effective in my space and outside of my space when things are decent and in order.

I still have some work to do. My latest loathing is for files.  I purged some and was going to keep the rest and get a file cabinet.  I’ve since decided against that and will get rid of (I hope 75% of the two boxes that I do have.  I still have a shoe problem and I carry way too many bags on a day to day basis. I believe based on the desk experience, that I can change my mind and change my habits in those areas as well.  Will it be work? Absolutely but I’m willing and now know that I’m able.

I know this was a long story about a desk, but I thought I’d share it because I’m sure there are others who have had this struggle, with a desk or a closet or some other area in your home in your life.  If this helps you in any way I’m glad, and if you’d like to share your story, I encourage you to share it. You might help someone else get free.