You’ll have to take my word that my desk was cleared off at the end of both days over the weekend (referring to the Clean Desk Challenge currently in progress). Not too hard to believe given the track record so far, eh?

Below are my “Zone 1″ supplies. Zone 1 means on the desktop, and used frequently, if not daily.

• a phone, at right hand because I’m right handed, with headset (hanging on side of desk) plugged in
• a stapler, the kind that stand up on end because I always pick up the stapler when using
• a small dish for paper clips and colored stickies of a couple of sizes and a binder clip
• a small container for my favorite blue-ink ballpoint pens
• a larger container for highlighters, scissors, letter opener, pencils, eraser (it’s shape and size is like a pen), and black-ink ballpoint pens (which aren’t in favor at the moment but sometimes needed)
• a small pad of paper for shortlist reminders
• and for beautifying purposes, a glass vase blown by Mark (photographer of Clean Desk #9, boyfriend, and all around awesome guy)