Here on this podcast, as well as in my daily emails and our Daily Writer Club membership group, we talk a lot about strategies to be more productive as a writer. After all, if you don’t find ways to get the writing work done, you won’t have any books to publish, market, or sell.

But there is more to writing success than just doing the work. A big part of the equation is the environment in which you do your work. Since we’re still in January, this is a natural time to think about changes that can make it easier and more fun to write.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll focus on some ways to clear the clutter in your workspace. Although we writers like to talk about lofty ideas like book concepts, character arcs, or publishing strategies, the plain truth is that your environment has a big impact on your mindset and writing success.

Most of the time we don’t give a lot of attention to how our workspace is organized—or if it’s been organized at all! But if this is where your creative work comes to life, you should make sure it’s set up for maximum efficiency.

There is an intimate link between your physical environment and your mind. When you clear the clutter from your environment and have an orderly, clean place to work, you can be more productive and less anxious.

All that said, some writers still believe that a messy workspace somehow benefits their creative output. I can just hear the voices of protest: “But Kent,” you say, “I’m a stereotypical writer or creative person. I do my best work in a messy, chaotic environment.”

If that describes your point of view, let me share three observations:

1. I don’t buy the stereotype of a messy writer or artist. Sure, there are disorganized creative people. There are disorganized, messy people in every kind of field. But not all writers or artists are like that. The most successful writers I know are highly organized and strategic people.
2. Being disorganized and messy is a choice, not a personality trait. Yes, certain personalities tend to be more clean and organized by nature. However, you can make the choice to have a neat work environment.
3. Just because you CAN work in a messy environment doesn’t mean that you should. It’s like driving a car with low air pressure in the tires. Can you still drive that way? Yes. But can you do something about it? Yes. You can put more air in the tires and the car will function more efficiently. If you currently have a messy workspace and everything seems fine, you can be even more productive with a clean workspace.

If you’re ready to make a fresh start and begin creating a better environment for your writing, tune in over the next couple of weeks for the rest of the series!

Today’s Challenge: Ask yourself how you could benefit from having a neater, more organized workspace for writing.