If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, Of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?Albert Einstein.

I hate it that I have a messy desk, I have always had a messy desk. I want a tidy desk, I crave a tidy desk but for some reason I rarely manage it. This picture may be the cleanest my desk has ever been.

Here is an interesting article by Jennifer Williamson...

It takes time to organize. Some experts have suggested that the time it takes you to organize your desk can be more productively spent doing your job-and that organization doesn't save you a large amount of time to begin with. Disorganized people often claim that they know where everything is, and this is often true-and if you're well organized but the paper you need is across the office in your filing cabinet, it may take you just as long to get your hands on it as it would if it were under a pile on your desk.

Everything's in front of you. People with messy desks may actually be less prone to procrastination. That's because your papers are all in front of you, not filed away in a filing cabinet where they'll be easy to forget. Your desk may be messy, but at least you can see at a glance what needs to get done.

Searching through the piles helps you make connections. When you have to go digging through your papers to find something on a messy desk, you can dig up all sorts of things-projects you've been putting off, old ideas you've been thinking about, and even other projects and information that fit with what you're working on now. If your desk were organized, your projects would never "mix" like this-and you may miss out on some important connections.

Organization is a form of procrastination. You can spend hours every day organizing things instead of getting real work done. With a messy desk, you naturally organize your work in a way that reflects how your mind works. When your desk is messy, you may actually be more efficient and effective than if you're organized.

Creative thinkers are messy. Creative thinkers tend to have messy desks. In January 2006, a study of hundreds of CEO's indicated that the highest scorers in innovation and risk-taking scored lowest on organizational and neatness skills. Creative people organize their desks intuitively to correspond with the way their minds organize information, and studies suggest that people with messy desks have great career potential.

I do agree with Jennifer... but I still want a clean desk. It's probably never going to happen.