What Is on Your Table Now and Why?
Here’s what’s on my desk now, from left to right: one laptop, one mug of tea (on a stand), one notepad and pen, one smartphone (mute, upside down), two bike lights to charge, and one potos plant. …
It turns out that putting the smartphone face down and soundless is a good start, but it might even be better if I put the phone in a drawer instead of directly on the desktop. It’s the same with these bike lights, although they take up space on my desk on purpose, so I remember to recharge them.
(Yes, I know I could recharge those bike lights right now , but I don’t want to take a break from writing this post. After spending thirty seconds to grab a bike light and rummage around my desk for a USB charger and plug it in. I have enough time to ask myself if I should flip my phone over to make sure I haven’t missed any important messages or calls, which will push me to check Slack to make sure I haven’t missed any important conversation, and so on.)
Fast Company interviewed productivity coach Alexis Haselberger to find out what should and shouldn’t take up space on our desk:
[…] Haselberger recommends that you have the following items on your desk:
- Your computer, mouse and keyboard
- A pad and pen to jot down a note when you have a thought, or to help you think through a project if you are a paper person
- Drink
- Tools that you use regularly, such as a stapler, tape, or scissors, that would otherwise take time to gain access.
The idea is that there should be nothing in our field of vision that is not directly related to the task at hand. Smartphones are put in a drawer. The scissors are put away in a drawer unless you are working on a project that directly involves scissors. Fast Company cited a study that found the “energetic” are 9% more likely to have pictures of their children on the table, so feel free to add a visual reminder of your loved ones, but avoid over-decorating.
Meanwhile , The Atlantic recently posted a more lighthearted article on three drinks everyone should keep on their table:
The first is water. The second is a source of caffeine. The third is something fun: juice, soda, a glass of wine on a Friday afternoon (if you have an office like that), kombucha (if you are).
[…]
The third drink is your wild card, the chance to get some random treat during a period of the day that otherwise doesn’t belong to you.
My table isn’t big enough for three drinks, but that’s one of the reasons why I have a plant, and why I immediately covered the wall in front of my table with cards from friends and family, memorabilia from various vacations, and so on. (I work from home if you’re interested.) When I look at these things, I feel happy, and it’s easy enough not to look at them when it’s time to look at my laptop, so why not have them handy?
So. What is on your table now, why is it there, and is there a better place for this? Are you following Fast Company’s advice to get everything off your desk except the items needed to complete the task at hand, or The Atlantic’s advice to give yourself a little casual pleasure throughout the day?