KEEP CLEAR: A Lesson on How To Organize Paperwork from The Fifth Element
In the movie The Fifth Element, Bruce Willis lives in a tiny, cluttered mess of an apartment. The room is filled with junk except for one spot on the wall stenciled with the words: “KEEP CLEAR”.
For many people, their desk is like that apartment: stuff everywhere. It’s overwhelming and mentally draining to have a cluttered work area with so many things grabbing for your attention. Time management gurus chide messy desks (and with good reason) but some people, no matter how hard they try, will never have a clear desk. If you’re one of these people, don’t worry, you can still reduce your stress and reclaim space back by using that tip from The Fifth Element: declare a KEEP CLEAR zone.
Go get yourself some hazard warning tape and mark off a space about two feet by three feet on your desk, as shown below. If you have a cheap desk (like I do), go for the full effect and stencil KEEP CLEAR across it.
Now relax: allow yourself to have a cluttered workspace outside of the emergency taped area. There is such a thing as productive mess. But, the KEEP CLEAR zone is holy — it must be kept pristine. Within its borders, only work on one thing at a time.
Only the paper that you’re working on right now can go in the KEEP CLEAR box. If your working on the computer, then the keyboard and mouse can go inside the box. Everything else must stay out. The KEEP CLEAR zone not only gives you space to work, but it also focuses your attention.
As Randy Pausch said: it’s easier to get work done when it’s you vs. the one piece of paper instead of you vs. the whole desk of paper.
Why don’t you go out today and get some hazard warning tape and make your own, KEEP CLEAR zone.
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Header photograph from The 5th Element
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Great idea, but 2ft x 3ft? Thats, like, my whole desk. Unless i screwed up converting to metric. I hate the imperial system, when will it die?
When will the imperial system die? Not soon enough, my friend. Not soon enough.
Anyway, you’re right — I over-estimated the size, but I’ll blame that on living in Europe for too long and forgetting exactly how big a foot is. The only reason I didn’t give an estimate in centimeters is that most of my readers are from the States.
What screensaver is that?
About 1 meter by 2/3 of a meter, Undead. Sorry about your adverse reaction to the imperial system, but it will never die.
What is that clock wallpaper/screensaver set-up you have running on your machines? Where could I download them?
What screen saver is that?
Hello, I was wondering where you found the blackberry-esque screensaver
I’m not trying to be mean, but you both totally shocked me that you actually like the metric system… The imperial system has always been a lot easier for me to read and use and I was taught both systems when I was growing up in the U.S. It just makes more since to me to base the system off of an actual body part (aka foot and an inch is usually the width of your finger). I think people just adapt to whatever system they are surrounded with and here it is still the imperial system. I had no idea until I looked at the metric wiki just now, that there were only three official countries that used the imperial system. I was hoping the metric system would die, but I guess I’m out of luck… :)
nice idea, but is that yellow and black warning really necessary ? :D can be some other better colors, ( friendly ) right ?
Oh i need this so bad, I am getting the tape and start att he front door . Thanks
Welcome to the lifehacker readers. For all those who want to know, the screensaver is FLIQLO
Nice idea! And nice screensaver, thanks for the link ^^^ :)