April Question of the Month - Join the conversation and receive a badge

Rebeca S.

Hey there Community,

Last month you shared the awesome skills you want to cultivate, including music, Smartsheet, AI, public speaking, cooking and many more. I loved seeing how dedicated your are to personal and professional growth — as expected from the Community members!

Now, let's dive into a new question, shall we? Take advantage of this new chance to earn badges, while getting to know your peers. 😉

Choose an item on your desk, why is it important to you?

Do you keep a really neat desk with only the essentials, or do you prefer to be surrounded by items that bring you joy? No matter which one you like best, take a look around, choose one item that stands out, and tell us a bit about it!

Share your response in the comments below. ⬇️

About Question of the Month:

We kick off each month with a new question. These monthly ice breakers are just one way to help you get to know your Smartsheet peers and rack up some badges and points in the process.

Everyone who participates by answering the question prior to the end of the month will automatically receive a unique participant badge once the question closes at the end of the month.

In addition to the participant badge, the top three answers based on Community member votes will receive the Top Answer badge. To vote on an answer click on the upvote icon associated with an answer in the comments below. Multiple votes allowed and encouraged!

Ray Lindstrom

I have a drawing from my youngest of two sons that I just love. He drew it when he was 7. He's almost 15 now.

AKnight

Wow one of the first responses! If I had to choose an item on my desk I would choose my Hoya thomsonii. It is a fuzzy and strange little plant that is fun to mess with and pet when I need something to fidget with!

Edit to add: that or my coffee heating mat, which is arguably one of the most vital items on my desk!

Rebeca S.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/478905#Comment_478905

This is the sweetest @Ray Lindstrom, what a precious memory to keep close to you every day. 💙

Ray Lindstrom

Thank you @Rebeca S.. It really is so sweet and very special to me. I should have it laminated, so it lasts longer. I'm really blessed to have 2 really amazing boys who are my best friends (along with my wife, of course). My oldest is 17. We still do almost everything together.

Age when he drew it in 2018 (10 and 7 years old):

Recent picture from 2 weeks ago (17 and 14 years old):

Protonsponge

This is easy, my 3 monitors - 🎶🎶Reports to the left of me, Dashboards to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with a formula! 🎶🎶

Ray Lindstrom

@AKnight, I love plants (and gardening)! They bring me peace.

@Protonsponge, I hear ya! I reduced from 4 to 3 monitors, and love not having to constantly minimize and maximize windows to see what I'm working on. So much more productive that way! And what a great song you wrote that to!

Angie Bryant

Choose an item on your desk, why is it important to you?

I have a Smartsheet Tips & Tricks Guide that I received at Smartsheet ENGAGE Seattle 2024. It has become a very handy desk item for me. It gives me PC shortcuts to things I may need. Of course, I would very much love a desk pad filled with PC shortcuts, much like you see for Excel and other things but I will treasure what is available. This wonderful table top flip chart for my desk made and given out by SCScloud. ❤️😍

Paul.Woodward

HELLO EVERYONE! HAPPY APRIL!

I have a Harry Potter Knight Bus Leg Set on my desk. This is important to me because my best friend passed away about 10 years ago, and Harry Potter was a movie that we would always watch together. She was my best friend / soulmate. People would ask, "Where's Paul?" and the response was always "I dont know, where's Ashley?" and vice versa.
This stands as a reminder of all of the good times we had, and the friendship we shared. Furthermore, it is a reminder that life is very short, and tomorrow is not promised.

LOVE HARD. LOVE without REGREATS. The world needs more of that.

You are all loved!

Paul

Will Duplex

Recently, it's become a container of Ice Breakers mints. I successfully gave up nicotine last year for Lent, and decided that I didn't want to be dependent on nicotine in 2025. Well, I can successfully say that for 2025, I have and will remain, nicotine-free.

Rather than substitute my old habit for nicotine patches or gum, I quit cold turkey and replaced nicotine with Ice Breakers mints instead. So whenever I feel a bit stressed or overwhelmed at work, I pop a mint or two and let that suffice.

For those of you who are in a similar situation like I was with nicotine - just know that it'll be tough but it's not impossible. You are stronger than you can imagine.

Janae G.

I have lots of fun stuff to decorate my desk, but perhaps my favorite is my Newton's cradle (one of those things with swinging metal balls that click-clack back and forth). It was a souvenir from a museum and makes for a classic desk ornament!

kowal

My phone that also acts like a timer and every hour it reminds me to make a 5 minute break.

Monique Odom-Stearn

My desk is definitely COVERED in things I've compiled over the years. One of my favorites has to be an R2-D2 Pez dispenser. Early in my career, I worked as an Administrative Assistant in the Dean's Office of my alma mater. One of the Deans was a fellow nerd and I got along with him very well. I learned a lot from him, and one day he gave me that Pez dispenser as part of a running joke between us. I love that I have that little Pez dispenser to remember him by.

AntonioC

I have quite clean desk to avoid distractions. However, I have a picture of the North Ridge of Piz Badile taken by a friend on mine. Climbing the North Ridge of Piz Badile was one of the most incredible experiences as a climber and in tough time at work it reminds me that I've gone through a way more demanding challenges then failing at work

cbredehoeft

@Rebeca S.I have this note my daughter packed in my lunch one day when she was about 7. It reminds me why I do what I do all day. "Bone- Apple_ tea" AKA "bon appetit"

Rebeca S.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/479008#Comment_479008

@cbredehoeft, what a cute little treasure! 💙