A space of one's own

A few weeks ago, I inadvertently re-created my writing space in a way that led to efficiency and clear thinking. It didn't last long, sadly — and now that I'm back to being buried, I'm wondering how I achieved that level of organization and productivity.

It was surprisingly simple: I was getting ready for a short trip, and when I glanced at my desk, I noticed what a disaster area it was. Not wanting to come home to such a seemingly hopeless mess, I cleaned up (which basically meant shoving...