PAN Blog

My desk is a royal mess, I have paperwork, magazine and newspapers piled everywhere except on my laptop, phone and lamp (my picture frames are like bookends though). My system of management is simple, those piles closest to my right hand require immediate attention those farther out represent coming work and those at the farthest reaches are long term plans. On my left is the creative pile. Here lay a stack of ideas representing all my clients in no particular order. This stack is the least organized but the richest in content; it's next to the phone. Farther out is just junk I never get around to tossing because I feel like there is good idea in there somewhere.

This style of information management, or filing, reminds me of Andy Rooney from CBS' 60 Minutes. He's a notorious clutter bug and pack rat. I think once a year he does a special on his style of filing; it's always amusing TV. ("Being Messy Has Its Perks")

Anyway, a lot has been said about the types of people who maintain a clean desk versus those that are messy. As a member of the messy group I've got to say there is a system to my untidy madness.

Not really my desk, but it feels like it:

Ever notice how Fridays bring out the fun side of your co-workers? Maybe it’s the excited anticipation that spreads through the office just knowing that in several hours you’re off to your weekend adventures. Or perhaps it is the punch-drunk hilarity caused by a long and exhausting work week. Either way, I always have some rather… entertaining discussions on Friday with co-workers. Some great topics include:

Should I skateboard around the office next Monday?

Would anyone notice if I built a nice little bed under my desk?

I’d like to start a doggy-daycare in my free time. Where do I start?

You woke up where this morning?

Maybe the Friday mentality is why I found Google’s Scooter Rules so interesting. Courtesy of the ClickZ blog, Tim Armstrong of Google outlined some of the scooter etiquette in their NYC office that opened their doors to media recently. I don’t care what age you are, that is awesome! It probably wouldn’t work at my office though, since I have enough trouble navigating the corners on foot, but I love that Google is promoting scooter use at the office.

I was absolutely tickled with Lisa Belkin's Life's Work column today in the NYT Style section entitled, 'It’s Not the Job I Despise, It’s You.' Cheeky as usual it chronicles working with that special someone that you despise.

Yes, there are always those that one can't stand, but its important to also recognize that the most important thing to practice is kindness. Remember the phrase your mother taught you, ' kill em; with kindness.' That way you win either way.

With today starting the year of the year of the Rat, or Wu Zi, the year is marked by : a time of hard work and renewal in many ways and to make a fresh start. So perhaps we can all make it a point to make a fresh start and be kind to one another.

Just read an interesting piece off the UPI Wire talking about gas prices and worker productivity . Are the gas prices bringing you down? What are you doing to change your ways or save some dollars in your pocket?