Every object in view is a small open question. Do I need this. Should I finish that. Where does this go.
The tidiest people I know are not neat by temperament, they are protecting their concentration. They keep the surface in front of them almost bare, and everything else within arm's reach but out of sight.
The half-empty rule
If the bench is more than half covered, stop and clear it before starting anything new. It costs four minutes and buys back an hour of unbroken attention.
The same rule works on a desktop, in a project folder, and in a draft with too many half-written sections.
