The Clutter That Kills Focus

Welcome to The 1% Better Productivity Letter, your weekly dose of simple, actionable strategies to work smarter, boost focus, and build a productive life that fits you.

Today at a glance:

• Why a cluttered desk can sabotage your focus without you realizing it
• What science says about messy spaces and your brain’s ability to concentrate
• How I simplified my workspace (even with 2 laptops and too many pens 😅)

The Small Space Tweak That Changed How I Work

I have a weird kind of OCD - one of those inconsistent ones. I can leave a pile of dishes in the sink for a whole day without a care in the world, but I cannot focus if the curtain isn’t perfectly aligned.

When it comes to my workspace… let’s just say it's a lot. My desk is usually full: I have two laptops (one for work, one personal), a laptop stand, a big monitor, my mechanical keyboard, a mouse, at least two agendas (again, work and personal), pens, a cube timer I use when I need to focus, and some dried wildflowers to set the vibe. Add coffee, water, and occasionally some snacks, and it’s a full setup. Believe it or not, I used to use all of them throughout the day.

Now, do you think this helped my focus and made me more productive?

Short answer: nope.
Long answer: I thought it did. I convinced myself I was being efficient, constantly switching between laptops when something came up, jotting down ideas the second they hit, deciding which color highlighter to use… you know, real productivity... But truthfully? I wasn’t able to stay on a single task for more than ten minutes without jumping to something else.

Then one night, in a full-on YouTube rabbit hole, I ended up watching a video by Ali Abdaal where he talked about how organizing your space and decluttering your environment can dramatically improve your focus and productivity. And something about that hit me. I instantly thought about how busy and chaotic my desk was, how every item was basically shouting for attention.

So I decided to try a little experiment. Just a few days of doing things differently.

Each evening, I would clear everything off my desk and put it away. And each morning, depending on what I had to work on, I’d set up only what was needed. If it was my side gig time, then only that agenda and laptop were allowed. If it was work hours, then only the work gear came out. No two laptops. No duplicate planners. No distractions dressed up as tools.

Of course, it didn’t work perfectly from the start - my inner hoarder still wanted to keep everything nearby, just in case. Maybe I’d need that extra pen. Maybe I’d want to use the other keyboard. But slowly, I got better. I chose the pen I’d use, left the rest away, kept only one device on the desk at a time, and started removing anything that wasn’t directly needed for the task in front of me.

I’m not going to lie... it was hard at first. I’m one of those people who really struggle with letting go of things. I always worry about what might happen if I suddenly need that one thing I put away. My brain can be so dramatic about it sometimes, it’s almost funny (if it weren’t so exhausting 😅).

From Idea to Action

When we talk about organizing and decluttering our space, it’s easy to imagine Marie Kondo-style spring cleaning. But what I mean here is something much simpler and closer to real life: making space for your focus by removing the stuff that pulls at your attention while you're trying to do something that matters.

And when you’re someone who works a 9 to 5 and is also building something on the side, you’re often juggling 20 tabs in your mind even before you open your laptop. So when your physical environment mirrors that chaos - with notes, tech, chargers, notebooks from three different projects , it adds even more noise to your already overloaded brain. You end up sitting at your desk, opening your laptop, and wondering… okay, now what was I doing again?

Turns out, this is not just a personal experience, it’s science.

A study from Princeton University found that visual clutter competes for your attention in the same way as a toddler yelling your name while you’re trying to write an email. The more cluttered your environment is, the harder it becomes for your brain to filter information, which directly impacts your ability to focus.

Another study published in the Journal of Neuroscience showed that people working in tidy spaces were able to process information faster and be more productive than those surrounded by clutter. It’s like your brain is constantly having to swipe left on distractions.

And it’s not just about feeling “organized, it’s about energy. Every single item in your space has a tiny pull on your mental bandwidth.

That sticky note you haven’t addressed yet? A little guilt spike.

The notebook from a different project? A reminder that you’re behind.

That random charger you don’t need right now? Just another reason to shift your attention.

Your focus becomes fragmented before you even start.

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A little experiment to try this week:

At the end of each work session, take 2/3 minutes to reset your space. Remove anything you won’t need for your next task. Close the laptop you’re done with. Put your pens back in a drawer. Clean any coffee mugs. Let your desk breathe a little.

And when you sit down for your next session, set up your space with only what you actually need for that one block of focus. No need to go minimalist overnight. Just start with small resets, and notice how it changes the way you enter the task. I promise, it’s a different kind of energy.

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And if you try it, I’d really love to hear how it goes. Just hit reply to this email and let me know what worked, or what didn't. I read all your messages, always. ✨

Recommendation Zone

This week’s listen:
​“Care-Frontations: Three Keys for Giving and Receiving Criticism”​
from the We Can Do Hard Things podcast

I listened to this episode while cleaning my kitchen, and I have to say, it really made me pause and think. The way the girls talked about criticism, and how we receive and give it, felt incredibly real and honest.

I’ve always found it a bit tricky to not take criticism personally, especially when I’m not sure whether the other person actually has my best interest at heart. This episode helped me see that a bit differently. They broke it down into a simple 3-part “care-frontation” recipe that feels way more human and kind than the usual “just be honest” advice.

If giving or receiving feedback makes you uncomfortable (hi, same), I really think this one’s worth a listen. 🤍

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Remember: productivity does not mean busyness!

Loredana xx