When do you seek out expert advice?

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 77 - Let's talk about my cluttered work space.

Mar 14, 2024

Welcome to a product of my workspace!

Spring cleaning or any kind of cleaning is usually the farthest thing from my mind.

I am a self-diagnosed keeper and clutterer. I am constantly in battle with having clear surfaces and rarely succeed. So, taking on Spring cleaning as a large project is unlikely. I prefer small cleanings here and there.

This year, I set a goal to spend one to two minutes each day to keep my desktop neat.

Now, even as a small project, I am doubting the wisdom of this goal for me. (I know I need it, but will I meet the challenge?)

In this newsletter:

Their are experts in every field to guide your life.
An argument for not listening to the experts.
The only decision you need to make.
Questions to consider.

Expertise is at your fingertips.

If you want to improve any aspect of your life, there is an expert to reference.

Self-help books are popular with good reason. People want to improve their lives, so they explore the best way to do this. Podcasts, blogs, and videos are also available when you want to improve.

My desktop is a perfect example. Discovering the benefits of a neat, uncluttered workspace doesn't take much research.

I have a stack of books I haven’t referenced in over a month (but I will). Three new journals wait patiently for their moment to shine. I have two notes from my granddaughter and former student art I can’t bring myself to part with yet. Various odds and ends have found a safe place on my desk because it’s my desk, and I’m the only one who accesses my desk. And, of course, I have notes for my current projects.

Could you work at my desk? Photo by S.G.S. Abel

One to two minutes a day doesn’t seem to make much difference.

Organization and decluttering experts would tell me exactly how to fix this situation.

Do you need expert help?

It's easy to believe we should follow the experts’ advice on how to improve in any area of our lives.

Experts make their strategies for improvement look enticing. We should follow the easy steps and create a habit that will change how we live. They give us the reasons and the directions.

But there is one thing we need to consider before we check in with the experts. Do we need an expert to help us?

Some changes need expert advice, such as physical or mental health issues or learning a new skill.

Sometimes, we know what we need to do. We just don’t want to do it.

The First Decision to Make

Before you spend the time consulting the experts, you need to decide if you want to change.

When I started journaling gratitude and felt a change in myself, I knew I wanted to change more. I started reading about the habit to dig deeper. I listened to podcasts. It was time well spent.

(I fell in love with gratitude and journaling so much that I created my second newsletter because I couldn’t find one. Someone needs my ‘expert’ advice.)

When it came to my desk, I made an assumption the a tidy workspace would change how I work.

I listened to a podcast and read some blogs about decluttering. I knew immediately I didn’t want to change. It wasn’t the work needed to make a change that made me change my mind.

I didn’t identify with the clutter problem at all.

I can look at my desktop and see what needs to be done. I know what I could do to have a neat workspace; I just don’t want to do it.

Do I need a neat desktop?

Experts would say yes. But I seem to function fine. I accomplish what I want to in a timely matter. It’s just the look of the area that’s messy, scary (?). I’m not sure what others think. It doesn’t bother me. I know where everything is.

Three Questions

Before you dive deep into self-help for improvement, consider some guiding questions.

Do you need to or feel like you need to make a change?
Is your desired lifestyle being negatively affected by what you could change?
Do you have consistent negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, or frustration?

Be honest with yourself. Just because the experts can guide you to change doesn't mean you need to change.

And found under my desk. Photo by S.G.S. Abel

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good:

Doesn’t everyone need a small dog curled up under their desk? This is Arlo, my seven-year-old miniature dachshund. He was rescued from a meth house. We call him our drug dog.
Could you work in my space? I’m grateful to have a spot of my own. In my defense, I am in the dining room, and the paper standing up is a jury summons.
It’s good to dip your toe into a change. This newsletter is not an argument against reading or listening to the self-help genre. Brene Brown, Ryan Holiday, Gretchen Rubin, and others have a fan in me. I love trying suggestions for making life better.
I love that this article on why to keep your desk clean includes this quote, “Finally, keep in mind that clutter isn’t always bad. One study has showed that messy desks can make us more creative.” Just call me creative.
I liked this article because it acknowledges that we are different so it only makes sense different methods of decluttering would appeal to us. If I were to take on decluttering, my method would most likely be the 20-Minute Method (or the 10-minute method; I don’t want to take too much time away from my creative time).
Sometimes, when we need help the most, we are afraid to ask for it. Start with writing out your fears and the worst things that would happen if you asked for help. You may discover the worst is nothing to fear.
A quote: “Every mind is a clutter of memories, images, inventions and age-old repetitions. It can be a ghetto, too, if a ghetto is a sealed-off, confined place. Or a sanctuary, where one is free to dream and think whatever one wants. For most of us it's both - and a lot more complicated.” - Margo Jefferson

Thank you for reading. What self-improvement adventure are you on?

Until next time,

💚

Susan

If I had to make one change to my desktop, what would you suggest? Leave a comment and let me know. You can’t hurt my feelings. I already know it’s a mess.

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