Simplifying My Workspace
Over the last few months, my desk had slowly accumulated the usual assortment of tech debris: three different charging cables, unread notebooks, random adapters, and audio interfaces I rarely turn on.
Last Saturday I finally stripped the whole desk back to bare oak and started from scratch.
Less Clutter, Better Focus
The goal wasn't aesthetic perfection for social media; it was reducing friction. Every object on your desk claims a tiny sliver of your attention. By paring things down to just the essentials — laptop stand, mechanical keyboard, comfortable mouse, and a notebook — sitting down to write or build feels significantly calmer.
A few principles that worked well:
- One cable to the laptop: Everything else routes neatly under the desk via a single dock.
- Physical notebook within reach: For quick sketches and thoughts before opening any tabs.
- Good lighting over fancy RGB: A simple desk lamp with warm light makes late-evening writing much easier on the eyes.
It's amazing how much difference a clear physical space makes to your mental clarity.