My cat Charlie loves to be near me while I work. Her (yes, Charlie is a girl) favorite place to spend her afternoons is immediately to the right of my laptop on my desk. Every few hours, she'll stand up, take a leisurely stroll across my keyboard, and then return to her preferred nap spot. She keeps me company, so I try not to get too upset when "[[[[[[';lllllllddddddddddddddsssssaa" appears on my computer screen.

If my desk is cluttered, Charlie can't sleep on my desk. She lets me know that my cluttered desk is unacceptable to her and meows in a continuous, high-pitched pattern until I clear up my mess. Before I adopted Charlie, I didn't even know that cats had the ability to nag.

Charlie's behavior serves as a nice reminder that keeping clutter out of my life provides space for good things to happen. If my desk were cluttered all the time, then I wouldn't be able to enjoy the companionship of my pet while I work. If my house were cluttered, then I wouldn't be able to effortlessly invite my friends over for coffee or dinner or to watch a game. If all of my clothes were dirty, I wouldn't be able to toss a few outfits in my luggage for an unexpected weekend getaway. If I procrastinated doing my work up until the last minute, I wouldn't be able to seamlessly respond to emergencies. Being organized and free of clutter makes life less stressful, and certainly more enjoyable.