David "Kawika" Donaldson, winner of the Star-Bulletin/Midweek cubicle make over contest, "Pimp My Cube," prepares for his desk transformation by first clearing the wall.
Conquering the cube
A salesman’s once-messy workspace
now better reflects his top-notch skills
Messiness is a matter of perception. What one person might label as chaos, another might see as, well, fine. If you talk to David "Kawika" Donaldson, the computer store employee will tell you that his cubicle wasn't that messy -- despite the number of co-workers who would cheerfully disagree. After all, he never had a problem sorting through the paperwork on his desk -- as long as what he needed wasn't more than 6 months old, as papers seemed to disappear into the vortex of his desktop.
The business services sales representative, one of the top producers in his department at CompUSA in Waikele, won the Star-Bulletin's "Pimp My Cube" contest, in which owners of overflowing desks begged for a transformation -- not for themselves, but to turn their bland or disorganized cubicles into spaces reflecting their personalities.
"I'm pleased that he won," said Donaldson's immediate manager, Russ Brown, who sits next to him, "but I think we just need a rod and a curtain for his area."
So what made Donaldson the winner?
Before | Donaldson looks over the mess with Kelly Galvin of Organized in Paradise who has her work cut out for her.
"There's a couple of people who will make comments, but my desk is not that bad," Donaldson, 25, insisted as his cubicle makeover was to begin. "The (clutter) bothers me, but not enough to do anything about it."
Yes, a thin layer of papers covered his desk, and Post-It notes covered his computer. Sure, there were three coffee mugs (two being used at the moment), shoes and a motorcycle helmet. A hand-me-down stack of trays sat half empty, yet papers were crammed into his in and out boxes. A board with the words "Clean Me" hung behind his head. But he had an explanation: Like most young working professionals, he's busy, so his desk is a little disheveled.
Only four of the 12 Pimp My Cube finalists had permission from their bosses to change their work areas, but Donaldson had plenty of "support." Sales Support Manager Leona Malama even tried to enter him in the contest without his consent. But Donaldson had his own reasons for entering. He wanted his cubicle to have more personal style -- think disco balls.
After | With a clean, organized space, Donaldson is ready for the work day.
Galvin, armed with a $500 gift certificate from City Mill, has transformed Donaldson's cubicle into a golf course, with walls painted sky blue, a putting green at his feet and a picket fence wrapping the back walls. Silver wire baskets under his desk store personal gear, and matching trays on his desk organize files such as open orders, closed orders and sales quotes.
Nine awards are now lined up neatly on the walls -- attesting to Donaldson's sales skills. "He's such an exemplary salesperson in the store," said Galvin. "For a 25-year-old it's pretty impressive."
Donaldson is ranked fourth in commercial business sales for the entire company across the country, and he said he was a bit concerned about the impression he might be making on clients who sit with him at his desk, so he wanted to straighten out his workspace.
Deep down, Donaldson had wondered if his co-workers might just be right about his messiness. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the pinnacle of messiness, he rated himself an 8. "I guess I could use some help in what to keep and what to toss away," he said. "I'm not very decisive (in that aspect). It's something I could put off forever."
Arnie Tellez covers David "Kawika" Donaldson's desk so he can paint the wall
Galvin said some people are at their wit's end when they finally seek help in organizing their belongings, but "this was not the case with Kawika. He's highly functional. He may be messy but he's not disorganized. It was just a preference."
She said organization isn't so much about being clean, but about being efficient. "If he clears away clutter, he will be more functional. We're not reinventing the wheel. We don't want to do too many things to his style, or it won't stay organized, but being organized is a skill."
She said she's pleased with her golf course design. "This is a workspace, so you don't want something in your face, but we did want a fun, outdoor feeling. And not a lot of people get to have Astroturf in their office."
Besides, Donaldson's cubicle neighbor, his boss Brown, is also a golf fanatic.
"I thought that might drive him nuts," he said.
Nine steps to an organized life
From Kelly Galvin of Organized in Paradise1. Commit to making decisions: Most clutter is a result of postponed decisions or actions. Papers, clothes and other items pile up because you think you will deal with them later. Handle items immediately and you'll avoid developing clutter.
2. Buy less, keep less: You are not your stuff. Having more does not make you a better person, just a person with more stuff. Buying only things you truly need and tossing out or giving away items that are no longer useful is essential to keeping clutter away.
3. Practice being organized: Getting organized is not a one-time change. Daily maintenance is the key.
4. A place for everything and everything in its place: The old adage works. Create a place for EVERY item in your home or office, and keep it in that place when not being used.
5. Keep items where you use them: If you constantly go to into the other room for a pair of scissors, get another pair and keep them where you use them most.
6. Group like and related items together or adjacent: Think about the most organized places in the world -- grocery stores, department stores and libraries. Follow these examples. Notice that these places label where things go -- you should, too.
7. Things need containers: Containers are an important tool to keep like items together and to set limits on how much to keep of any single item.
8. When your life changes, adjust your environment: When the kids outgrow toys, clothes or furnishings, let them go. If you stop baking, pass on your bakeware to someone who will use it.
9. Keep only things that are useful, beautiful or you love: Stop keeping items out of guilt, obligation or the fear of living in lack. This is the quickest path to living in abundance and creating a home that will be your sanctuary.
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