According to a study by the University of Exeter, when people feel they have control over the layout of their work environment and can decorate it to their liking, their productivity, as well as their level of job satisfaction, can increase considerably (up to 32%).

Think about it for a second: have you ever found yourself in an inspiring environment that stimulated your creativity? Conversely, have you ever been in a depressing and disorganized room that only gave you the desire to leave? Based on personal experience, I don’t need any study to confirm it: working in a pleasing environment puts you in a positive state of mind where you are more willing to focus on your work, and even be more creative.

Still not 100% convinced? Let me ask you another question: if I gave you the choice of working in any of the two following workspaces, which one would you choose? 

This one?


Or this one?

I’m willing to bet all my money you would pick the latter. Why? Because it instantly makes you feel peaceful and undisturbed. Therefore, the first reason why you should organize your desk is apparent: it makes you feel great, and when you feel great, you do great.

The second reason why you should take the time to organize your workstation well is that it helps with concentration and reduces stress. Have you experienced it before? It’s much more challenging to stay focused in a crowded work environment. As an example, if your desk is covered with old newspapers, a document you have to approve, a post-it that reminds you to call Bob and other office supplies, then you’re going to give a bit of your attention to all these things simultaneously. That’s what we call visual disorder. The negative impact a crowded desk can have on your focus has been proved and is well summarized with this infographic published by Insights for Professionals. Whereas if your desk is well organized, then you can focus on the task that has the highest priority.

Another good reason to organize your workspace now is that a well-appointed desk will make your life easier and save you a lot of time. 

Reliable Plant magazine links to several studies that quantified the average waste of time-related to a disorganized workspace is 4.3 hours per week per worker. That’s huge! The first example that comes to mind is searching for a specific document that you know you recently saw but still can’t find without an official treasure hunt. If you’re lucky, you’ll eventually find it. If you’re not, you lost your document, no winning situation in sight!

On the other hand, when you have an excellent organizational structure in place, you immediately know where everything you need is. In an era where time seems to be the most expensive currency if reducing wasted time doesn’t convince you to organize your desk, I don’t know what will.

• Feel better;
• Focus easier;
• Reduce wasted time.

Matthieu Desroches is a trainer in organization and productivity. He is also the author of the book “Comment organiser son bureau pour être productif.” Visit his website for more information.