At work I was teased (appropriately!) for my untidy desk, heaps of notebooks, papers and folders teetering precariously, ready to topple like a game of jenga; I had pens, bluetac, training resources and juggling balls vying for space, discarded biscuit wrappers telling the tale of my day, and not so hidden underneath the desk would be bags and books. I was anything but streamlined or organised and, I would claim, that was part of my charm and creativity – Einstein was notorious for the mess he worked in I said.

Four months ago I found myself at home, suddenly faced with a clear dining room table, my laptop, a notepad and a pen. Yikes. No printer, no stress balls, no towers of paperwork that might come in useful one day – all were left behind. It was quite disconcerting.

So I drew breath and decided this was my opportunity. I wondered – for all my bluster, my mess and my love of printing useful/less articles – were they actually needed for me to be productive and work at my best? Let’s see…

A third of a year down the line and I can honestly say there has been, perhaps, two occasions when I have lamented my lack of access to a printer (hear the trees cheering!). I have worked my way through three notebooks – I now have one for general notes and thoughts from meetings, and one which contains my to-do list, clearly laid out with checkboxes which I re-assess weekly. I have a daily post-it with my five things. And that’s it. The biscuit wrappers are quickly returned to the kitchen so no-one need ever know they were there. And the whole lot gets packed away in a box at the end of every evening.

The lockdown experience has been challenging, disorienting and difficult in so many ways, but I know that I have also learnt something really fundamental about what I need to be productive and work well – my head, my heart, a notebook and pen and my laptop. I hope I never lose any of them.

What have you discovered about the way you work, and what is really vital for you to be at your best?

Juliet Flynn, Organisational and People Development