Messy Marvins and Sloppy Sallies of the World, Rejoice!
June 16, 2008 by Liberty Kontranowski
Filed under Happy Living Tip, Stress, WOO hoo!, Your Mind
Image details: Messy desk served by picapp.com
Some of the best news I’ve heard since drinking beer, wine, and hot cocoa, eating steak, and getting more sleep became practically medically necessary: Messy desks are da bomb! And yes, I just said “da bomb” in public. That’s how excited I am.
Though my desk borders on “catastrophic” rather than “messy”, I am encouraged by new research from Professor Eric Abrahamson, Ph. D., from the Columbia University Business School, which claims that most people work faster (and more efficiently!) when there is a bit of mess around. I wonder what he means by “bit of mess”? A teensy stack of receipts or perhaps a gargantuan pile of magazines which threatens to take out any innocent passer-by who so much as breathes a little too hard in its direction? Hmmmm.
No matter, Abrahamson also said that the Tidy Two-Shoes (my phrase, not his) of the world tend to take 30% longer to find important papers than messy folk. So yes, dear anal organizers, there definitely comes a point when one becomes too organized – and finding certain papers becomes both complicated and time-consuming.
So the next time I get the hairy eyeball from my spouse (or you get it from your boss), we shall proclaim the superiority of being a Messy Marvin or Sloppy Sallie, agreed? It’s about time we catch a break, right?
Are you a slob or a neat-nik? Will you make a change one way or the other? Let us know…
Does this include computers as well, cause mine’s a mess…
A year or so ago I saw a picture in Time I think – or a similar magazine of Al Gore’s desk – and it was really messy! So I think if he can be as successful as he is and have a messy desk – I should be able to have a messy desk too.
Of course anymore I work mostly on the couch and have now made a mess not only on my desk but on the living room coffee table too!
I love this post!
Hey Liz, um sure, I’m saying computers totally count. They must because my Desktop is a mess and I’m brilliant!
Pfffft, Trisha! Desk or coffee table, doesn’t matter – you still reign supreme. Congratulations! =)
Thanks, Merry. =)
So, uh, is this an admission of your own messiness? If so, welcome aboard. You’ll find much love here (after a little searching, of course. Heh.)