 A desktop is a work surface, not a storage locker. Some of the desks I've seen actually remind me of an archeological dig. The deeper we go, the more ancient the hidden treasures!
 To be ready for action each and every day, you would ideally start out with a clear desk on which live only the items you constantly use: phone, calendar, clock and a few supplies. Most of us need two work surfaces. The second surface would be located either behind you, or to one side in an "L" configuration. Ideally, this second horizontal space holds items you work with daily or several times per week, i.e. your computer, cascading file racks for active project files, and important reference materials. Many clients also set up their mail processing station in this area.
One size does not fit all when it comes to organizing any space. My right-brained, highly visual clients prefer to see their work and have it readily available. To them, file drawers and cabinets are "black holes" into which items disappear and are quickly forgotten. My former husband was a shining example of this school. The difference between his and my side of our mutually shared office space was astounding. (He used the "geologic" filing system, i.e. Everything Goes on Top.) Amazingly enough, he actually did find the things he needed in reasonable time, but it was painful to watch...
A desk is a place for action, not a place where things are waiting to happen. Get as many files and documents off your desk as possible. Containerize materials where appropriate, but try not to crowd your immediate work space. Once your desk top is uncluttered, keep it that way. Practice the daily habit of leaving your desk clear at the end of each work day. "A place for everything and everything in its place" may be old advice, but it still has merit.
Please go easy on yourself, and remember that a new habit takes approximately 30 days of practice before it becomes something you do automatically. If you begin now to leave a clean desk at the end of each day, in 30 days this daily organizing activity will have become an automatic habit. Give it a try!
All the best,
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