Your messy desk isn't just a messy desk

I used to think success in one area was independent of everything else. If I wanted to be great at programming, I just needed to focus on programming. The rest didn't matter.

Then I started paying attention to people around me. Some dressed well, spoke clearly, smelled nice, kept themselves together. But then I noticed contradictions. The same people drank heavily, partied constantly, had terrible grades. At first these seemed like separate facts. Then I realized they weren't separate at all. The patterns fit together.

Everything reflects everything.

TL;DRThe small things you think don't matter—how tidy your desk is, how you dress at home, what you learn outside your main field—aren't separate from success, they're where it starts.

The workspace tells the truth

My desk used to have scattered papers, books, coffee cups, cables everywhere. I thought it didn't matter because the work was in my head, not on the desk.

But when my desk is a mess, my mental state matches it. I feel like I don't have control. I can't figure out what to do next.

The moment I clean it, something shifts. Suddenly I know exactly what needs to happen. The clarity is instant. Not because the desk is clean, but because the mess is reflecting something deeper.

The uniform decision

About two years ago, I bought a wardrobe that's basically a uniform. One style of pants in two colors. I have six or eight pairs. One style of t-shirt in four colors. I have about twenty of them. Twenty to thirty pairs of underwear, all identical. Thirty pairs of socks, all identical.

I buy things that are comfortable and functional and work anywhere. When I'm home, I dress the same way I would for work. If I need to go somewhere quickly, I don't think about it. I just go.

I can't take myself seriously in pajamas. If I'm dressed like I don't care, I work like I don't care. The uniform removes the decision, but more importantly, it keeps the identity consistent.

And it doesn't slow me down. I can go to dinner with friends, go to the store, play outside with my son, or just relax on the couch at home. Same outfit, different contexts.

Learning outside your field

When I studied marketing as a developer, people told me it was pointless. Why waste time on something outside my field?

I studied it because I was interested and because I had a side project where publicity mattered. That "useless" knowledge became directly useful.

I'm slightly above average at programming. Not the best in the country, not even close. But I have good communication skills. I've led multiple projects, done product management, worked with design agencies, built brands, shipped mobile apps and web apps and internal systems.

If I'd focused only on programming, I'd be at risk. If that skill became less valuable or the market shifted, I'd have wasted decades on one thing. The variety is what makes me valuable, not the depth in a single area.

Everything connects

You can't separate success in one area from the rest of your life. The identity you want isn't just about hitting one specific goal. It's reflected in how you live day to day.

Small things aren't separate from success. They're where it starts.