Reuter’s News describes a competition designed to promote “A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder,” by Eric Abrahamson and David Freedman, a new book that argues neatness is overrated, costs money, wastes time and quashes creativity. In other words, who’s got the messiest desk?
Had I known, I could have given the contest winners a run for their money. Several years ago, my (new to me) secretary watched me for a few weeks and then told me she saw no reason to file my papers and neaten my office. Anytime she asked for something I could find it in my stacks of stuff quickly. So I guess we saved time and money… Still, sometimes the mess got too deep and I had to clean it up. That felt good, but I could never make the neat look last more than a week. Perhaps that was just my creativity showing through.
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