Do you have an empty desk?

I got to thinking about a common expression the other day, and I feel it's being misinterpreted.  You know the saying "A cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind?"  Well, the common rebuttal to that is often "An empty desk is the sign of an empty mind."  I feel in this analogy you could replace the word desk with just about anything.  House, car, purse, etc.  It's a very flexible description. 

Flexible as it may be, I'm a bit bothered by the "empty" part.  You see, I happen to be one of those people who usually has an empty desk, work area, whatever you want to call it.  And while my area is not completely empty, it is usually devoid of.....extra stuff.  But I absolutely do not consider my mind to be empty.  Dear God, far from it!  I cannot shut my mind off there is so much stuff rattling around in there.  

So I'm offering a rebuttal to the empty mind comeback.  Instead of an empty desk being a sign of an empty mind, I'm thinking it's more a sign of an organized mind.  As in, things are neat and tidy and everything is in its place.  

Organized.  Efficient.  Two of my favorite words and two characteristics which I try to embody on a daily basis, and two characteristics which I absolutely appreciate in other people.  Especially people I interact with in the professional world.   I find when I'm feeling scattered and a bit off the charts, it's easier to center myself when I take the time to organize my thoughts (usually in the form of a to-do list), and then work methodically down that list until I feel a bit more in control. 

The same theory applies to my workspace, my living space, any type of space I'm occupying at a given time.  I cannot function with mass amounts of clutter.  I need to have things sorted and organized in some way shape or form before I can feel comfortable and before I can be productive.  I am my most happiest when things are put away, and I don't have piles of randomness taunting me everywhere I look.  Yes, I've been told before that I have OCD tendencies.....and trust me, I'm always the first to admit it.  Which means that I don't see emptiness and lack of stuff as a bad thing.  In my opinion, it's the best possible thing! 

So don't feel bad if you come from an empty desk.  Be proud for ridding yourself of the excess clutter and embracing your organizational instincts.  Over-organizers need to officially unite and share this message.....together we can stop the verbal abuse on empty desks.