I’ve been looking for a writing desk for months. I wanted to take my time, shop around, and make sure I was getting something I wanted for a reasonable price. Foolishly, I kept hoping that one would somehow magically appear on a silver platter, and of course, be free of charge. Silly me.

Yet today I found one. It was like most others I had seen: dark brown, medium in size, sleek and simple. I didn’t want my writing station to be chaotic; the words I put down on paper and on the computer would take care of that.

My roommate helped me haul the heavy box into our apartment and we brought it into my room with minor injuries and only a few screams that came from crashing into a doorknob. We put it together in about an hour. Now, with my laptop in the center and my old Smith-Corona typewriter off to the right, I finally have the workspace I’ve been yearning for.

As I was setting it up, carefully deciding what to put in the drawers and what to put on the desktop, I felt an overwhelming wave of peace rush over me. Perhaps it was because I changed my environment; i’ve always been a fan of surprises, a little instability, and anything that keeps me on my toes. Maybe it was because I had finally found the object of my desire; it was now my little sanctuary where I knew that when I sat down, I could write whatever transmitted from my brain through to my fingertips. However, I think most of the peace was just because I realized I wanted something that I knew would make me happy and then I subsequently took the time to make a rational and rewarding choice.

For me, that choice of purchasing a desk that suits my needs and wants is what fulfilled me today; it’s what made me happy. Maybe for you that fulfillment comes from organizing your closet, sorting through old photos, finally lacing up your sneakers for a run… that triumph is different for each person. But the commonality never changes: find what it is that makes you happy and then follow through with the choice of making it a realistic part of your life.

Today’s the day to buy your desk.