The hidden beauty of a messy desk
Clean Broke
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Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean, but an abundant harvest is produced by strong oxen.
Proverbs 14:4 (NET)
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This is one of the more interesting proverbs.
At least I think so.
It really puts the reality of running a business in perspective:
Productive work is often messy.
Many of the most productive people you’ll meet have messy desks. Because they know to focus on the things that actually move the needle in business, not merely looking good.
Everyone agrees there’s a difference between looking good and being good.
Yet so many people get caught up in details that don’t actually matter.
Sure, a clean stable looks and smells good … but it’s not valuable.
(I guess the building and the land are valuable, but only for their potential to someone else; not valuable to the current owner.)
The only way to get some work out of your barns is to have some animals there that do some work.
Which means they’re going to create a mess.
You’ll have to deal with it.
So, what do you value?
I like a clean desk and organized room as much as the next person.
But if it keeps me from actually doing profitable work, then it’s a losing distraction.
Better for me to have a messy desk because I’m too busy doing profitable work.
(This applies to much more than barns and desks.)
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2026 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
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