Neat vs Slob
I’ve been both piggy and neat. Here are pros and cons:
Pro neatness
You less often curse, “Where the hell did I put that?”
Many people respect neatness, especially the “cleanliness is next to Godliness” crowd.
Being neat gives you something mindless to do when you need a break from thinking work.
Neatening your desk, apartment, whatever, can make you feel control over something.
Neatening is concrete — You see the results, even of cleaning the toilet.
It can be hygienic. You don’t want ants to use your sink as a love nest.
Beauty matters. Most people prefer neat to piggy.
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Pro messy
You have better uses of your time than to primp.
More than a little neatening can be boring.
A too-neat desk can imply you don’t have enough to do. I visited the federal building in Oakland, and desk after desk was so neat and virtually empty. Ah, your tax dollars at work.
Fastidiousness can make others think that you focus on the gift wrap to hide the inferior product inside.
A measure of mess can impress some. We think of geniuses as being sloppy.
Some visitors feel comfortable in a “lived-in” than a primped space.
Me?
While I still hate vacuuming and changing the bed — once a month will do — I do keep my desk clean and sink free of insects.
Where are you on the pig-to-neat continuum? Anything you want to change?
I read this aloud on YouTube.
Marty Nemko is a career and personal coach, and author of 35 books including How to Do Life. You can reach him at mnemko@gmail.com
