New Desk, Who Dis?

Hello December! I’ve been waiting for you.

I’ve been really excited for this December. It has felt like the start of a new year for me, for some reason. The aniticipation of the holidays and the new year makes me ready to turn a new leaf now!

So I’ve promised myelf a couple changes in December to get me in the routine for a successful new year.

I began with one major change at work – I moved my desk to a spot that’s more open and social. Rather than a secluded private spot that allowed me to dwell and focus on only my thoughts and projects, I’m now around colleagues who I don’t work with on a daily basis or at all. But being around them allows me to learn what they’re doing and apply their variations to my client work, pushing past only using my thoughts, ideas and experiences. I think I got too comfortable at work and this was my way of challenging myself to learn about different client needs and perspectives. If you’re not learning, your regressing, right?

My new desk is awesome. While it’s not wood and is instead a dull metal grey, it’s behind a glass window and is much larger than my previous one. It’s allowed me to organize my necessities and purge the old and obsolete. For this, I am thankful for, since I can have trouble letting go of something (see: hoarder).

To welcome myself to this desk and confirm that it was the right decision to move (I’d been at my previous desk for almost two years so the move was difficult and a somewhat nerve-wrecking decision…I know, I know, it’s just a desk, but actually it’s so much more) and spread some December cheer on my first day at my desk, which coincided with the start of December, I treated myself to some new knickknacks from one of my favourite home-ware stores, Muji.

Muji is a Japanese clothing and home-wares store that has utility items rarely found elsewhere. The minimalist packaging and beautiful simplicity makes it one of my favourite stores that offers such fun items. I think their stationary line and toiletries line is fun, chic and useful, not to mention reasonably priced and makes you realize your investing in a necessary item you’ll use for a while.

I treated myself to a mini 2017 calendar, which I was so eager to use and thrilled to find out it had a page devoted to December 2016. Mini coloured pens to differentiate commitments in my calendars and notebooks. This box currently sits on my work desk but I’m contemplating getting one for my home office or bag so that I also have them on the go. They’ll be great for working at a coffee shop.

The bookmarks seemed a good idea to use as dividers in my notebook. I use mini coloured post-its right now and thought a bookmark might be a better, less intrusive divider. I will see how these work out. I also got pen holders. I’ve never seen these sold anywhere and things like this make me love Muji. I recently created my own pen holder by using a clip on the cover of my book and hanging a pen through it. This metallic pen holder is sturdier and sleek. I did experience a little interference when sliding the pen past its own clip, but it’s nice to have a pen always accompany my book, especially when I’m rushing to meetings.

Lastly, my soap dish, this one with sponge to prevent soap from sitting in water. I am quite particular about the cleanser bars I use and therefore like to travel with my preferred bars. So a portable soap dish was key. It can hold two bars without the sponge or two bars with the sponge when opened.

Thanks Muji for a great start to my December!

First written by me on IamRealisRare on December 3, 2016 https://iamrealisrare.wordpress.com/2016/12/03/new-desk-who-dis/

Then written by me on madder and shade/wordpress on December 21, 2017: https://madderandshade.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/new-desk-who-dis/

Finally re-reposted to this final madder and shade site in 2018