A quiet desk

I removed the second monitor and put a plant where it used to be. That was the whole project, really, though it took me most of a weekend to admit it was finished.

The desk now has a lamp, a notebook, one screen and a mug. It is not minimalism so much as fewer things asking for attention. Every object on it has to justify itself every morning, and most mornings they do.

What changed

The surprising part is not that I get more done. I am not sure I do. The surprising part is that I notice when I am switching tasks. With two screens, switching was invisible — a glance to the left, a glance back. With one, it is a decision, and decisions can be declined.

The plant, for the record, is doing better than I am. It leans toward the window a little more each week, which feels like advice.

The notebook

Paper is slow in the right way. You cannot search it, you cannot paste into it, and it does not notify you of anything. I write the day’s three things at the top of a page and cross them out with more satisfaction than any checkbox has ever given me.