Thursday, February 01, 2007

Is a little mess part of a smart and friendly system?

My workspace always includes stacks of books and papers. I am blessed to be married to a woman is wonderful, goodhearted, and organized. Usually about once a year before vacation she helps me spend half a day filing etc. And then I slowly but surely make it a mess again.

She survives my home office by declaring that it is not part of the house. Otherwise she'd have the urge to get on my case to straighten it up.

For year's I've felt guilty about the clutter that accumulates in my workspace but, thanks to Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder: How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices, and On-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place by Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman I no longer have to feel guilty.

Check out this great Inc. story on why chaos, clutter, disorganization, and on-the-fly decision-making actually are good for your company--and for you.