A clear desk means a clear mind. It also means a quick exit! But that doesn’t mean you don’t have room for some personal items. We’re anchored to our desks for the majority of the day – so we might as well make the best of it. Here are some personal items that I have found very useful to keep on my desk. Your results may vary. I’d love for you to share your ideas in the comments section below. And this is the kind of stuff you won’t mind leaving behind if you ever get fired!
Plant This
Did you know that the large seed in the center of a papaya can turn into the perfect office plant? Aside from giving you a boost of oxygen, a plant is something that can still thrive – even as your career dies! To learn more about the benefits of desk plants and what kind will work for you, listen to episode #42 of the Working Podcast.
Breathing Reminder
Put a tiny symbol in your field of vision (mine is on my monitor) that serves no other purpose than remind you to take a nice long, deep breath.
Change Cup
Give a penny/take a penny. Not only will you have some cash for that late-afternoon sugar boost, you won’t have to break a bill to get it. It might be spare change, but it adds up.
Minty Fresh
Everyone thought I was such a nice guy for always keeping a monster tin of Altoids on my desk. I just happen to enjoy fresh breath. Of course, my true motive was to extinguish the skank-ass halitosis emanating from certain people’s oral cavities. (This can be kept on your desk or in it – depending on how social you want to be.)
Get Colored
There’s a reason your cube and/or office is white or some greyish hue. Your boss is is trying to keep you even-keeled. While the Crayola-Effect might have a negative impact, a little color goes a long way. Orange can keep you optimistic, yellow can keep you smart and healthy and green can keep you cool and collected. Learn more about colors here.
Aromatherapy
Enhance your mental performance, control your moods and stay alert – all through your nose! You already know what a powerhouse sense smell is (remember the last time you caught a whiff of that ex-girlfriend’s perfume!?) Work the following onto your desk in the form of fruit, teabags or potpourri:
Stimulate the Brain – basil, lemon, rosemary, orange
Reduce Anxiety – lavender, sandalwood, pine
Fight Boredom – black pepper, peppermint, cinnamon
Learn more here.
Picture That Reminds You WHY You Work
If you’re like me, you don’t like your co-workers to be in your personal business. However, there are many benefits to putting up a picture of a loved one. On those days you feel down and out, sometime its all you need to pull you through. My recommendation is to change the picture every few months so it doesn’t become eye-numbing wallpaper. Sorry dear, but yes, I do get tired of looking at the same picture everyday.
Picture That Is Forward-Looking
The workplace does everything it can to beat your dreams into submission. You must fight! A calming picture of a country you wish to visit one day, a piece of artwork that takes you to another place or something of beauty that can pull you away from the fluorescent lights is key.
Simple Statement to Keep You Grounded
Type up a simple statement that you want to drill into your head and tape it to your keyboard. I change mine weekly. Most of us already KNOW stuff, remembering to employ it is another issue. Right now mine says, "The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination." Special thanks to Dragon Express for a dope fortune cookie.
I hope you start 2007 off right and include some of these items on your desk today!
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