A Clean Desktop - Under Worked or Overpaid?

When I was starting my business career, I was very organized since my education was as an industrial engineer. My desk was always very neat and organized when I left work at the end of the business day.

One day, an old-timer who had been around my company for many years told me “a clean desktop means you are under worked or overpaid.” To me, it was an unintelligent remark that is contrary to my education and my thinking.

I have always felt that everything should be well organized and in its proper place.

Throughout my business life, I have used a simple organizational system. I have a few files to keep myself organized. My system utilizes files named IN, OUT, FILE and ATTENTION. When mail came in I would put it in the IN file until I had a chance to go through it. Following the timesaving tip of only touching mail once, I would decide what to do with it the first time I went through it. I would mark on it what action or routing to take and label it appropriately OUT, FILE or ATTENTION. OUT to send it on its way. FILE if I wanted to keep it under my filing system … I always kept an outline of my file folders to refer to and determine where I wanted to file it. My ATTENTION file was an alphabetical accordion folder where I would file things that I had to take action on later. To this day,
I still use this same system.

So, using the principle "Only touch it once," As I go thru my mail I immediately put it into the OUT or DESTROY, ATTENTION or FILE. Since I live in two different locations - Hubbard Lake and Amelia Island, I put everything that I want to file into two File Folders - FILE - MIGHTY OAKS and FILE - SPYGLASS. I write a name at the top indicating the sub-file I want to file it in.