Thus read a sign (minus …or is it?) above a rather messy desk in the classroom of my high school newspaper’s faculty adviser.

My workplace is located in a corner of our condo’s “office room.” My main furniture is a work desk and a bookshelf, both of which I attempt to keep tidy. I have to admit, however, that I am not successful at this every single day. Papers and envelopes tend to accumulate on the corners of my desk, and every so often I go through them, either tossing or filing them in order to make my desk tidy again.

At the different institutions of higher learning which I attended, I had a couple of professors who, while being extremely intelligent and knowledgeable in their subjects, had offices which were unbelievably messy. I mean papers piled up near the ceiling in one case. I supposed that these faculty members had their own systems for finding what they needed quickly. At least, I hope they did.

Personally, I think that if things ever get the point where you cannot find what you need quickly, you need to tidy up. When you need a hard copy document and you shuffle papers around for several minutes trying to find it, it is embarrassing for you if there is someone in your office space watching you. They might think you are a slob. I would even be humiliated if nobody were nearby.

For me, straightening up often involves the use of folders. I use labeled folders to store important things, including documents that don’t have to do with my work, such as paid medical bills and insurance statements. Everyone knows that a shredder is, of course, a highly important thing to have (although I wish it did not make so much noise to torture my sensitive ears). And unwanted papers with no personal information on them belong in the recycling bin.

Which system works better for you—tidy or untidy?