Does it have to be that way though? I fix my own bikes and find a messy bench actually slows me down. Last week I wasted twenty minutes looking for a cone wrench that was buried under greasy rags. When bearings roll into corners they get lost, and oily tools left out ruin the grips. A bit of tidying as you go means you finish the job instead of hunting for things.
Messy workbench? That totally reminds me of my uncle's garage where he fixes old radios. He leaves parts EVERYWHERE, like a capacitor rolled under the fridge and sat there for months. His wife got mad when she tripped on a loose spool of wire. Now he tries to use little trays, but it still ends up a disaster zone by dinner time. Some people just have that creative chaos, I guess.
Ugh, I feel this in my soul. My garage was a total war zone after any project. What finally clicked for me was getting a pegboard for the wall right above the bench. I hung all my most-used tools on hooks so they're off the surface but still right there. Then I got a bunch of those clear plastic bins from the dollar store for small parts like bolts and bearings. Just having a dedicated spot to toss things mid-job stops the pile-up. It's not perfect, but now I can actually see the bench when I'm done.