Some of us are pretty good at creating pleasant spaces for ourselves. Others may not care as much. Maybe it doesn’t matter too much for some things in life. But I find that it’s important to have a workspace that helps you do a great job at whatever do.
And this not just about making your space look pretty. That is certainly part of it. Tidy is another part. Efficient is a big part of it. There are a few things that go into it.
Here are a few things to consider for your home workspace.
Declutter
Clutter is a huge issue for a lot of people. We get attached to things that we buy or receive. We like to hang onto them for as long as possible. Maybe you’re not too bad at it, but you probably know somebody that is.
Have you ever walked into someone else’s home and had this feeling? They have clutter everywhere. Things on the walls in the living room. Endless stacks of magazines on the coffee table. Then you go into their office and there are papers and notes and all kinds of things.
Clutter in your office means clutter in your mind. An office space is a reflection of you. If you can’t keep your office clean then odds are good that you can’t keep your work clean. And that can mean whatever for your specific situation.
Maybe you’re prone to forgetting things that clients tell you. I’m not saying it directly correlates with your tendency to forget to take out the trash from your office, but if you also forget to sort your papers at the end of the day then we’re looking at a patter.
Decluttering is the number one item for improving your workspace.
Schedule Regular Decluttering
And it’s not just a one-time thing. It’s certainly good to declutter your office right now. Put some things into the garbage pile or the shred pile. Put other things in the donate pile. Even go through everything and put some things in the keep pile. But find the proper place for it so you know where it is and don’t waste time finding it.
The BIG key to decluttering is that you need to schedule it. Every month is a good frequency for decluttering your office. Put it on your calendar. Don’t skip it. It will require less time than it will the first time you do it. Create a process where you can go through step by step what you need to go through and address.
It actually feels really good to declutter your workspace. Why not repeat this every month so that you’re staying on top of things and not creating a stressful environment for yourself…
Realign Your Furniture
Have you noticed that your office creates certain little stressors?
I’m talking about how the light shines into your eyes at a certain time of day during a certain time or year. Or how you get really taken aback when your spouse walks into the door. Or maybe you get a phone call and it sort of startles you.
Identify these stressors. Then consider realigning your furniture. Think about how you can rearrange things so that you avoid these stressors. Try out a new configuration and see how it goes. It may not work. You may find new stressors. But keep trying because fixing little stressors can lead to fewer distractions and better work.
Final Thought
What are the most important aspects of your job? Is it part task-based and part reflection-based? If you do need time for thinking it might be important to have a comfortable chair in your office so you can sit and think. If drawing is important then it’s really important to have a wonderful drawing station.
Focus on the top 2-3 things for your job. Then really invest in those areas. Make is so that you’re spending your time in these areas and getting the most important work done. People spend money in different things. One person may love cars so they spend money there. Others may do the same for homes.
But we can’t spend our money on all the things. And we also can’t spend our energy on all the things.
When it comes to workspaces, focus on what is most important and forget the rest. Put as little effort into the little things that don’t matter as possible. As long as they don’t clutter up and distract you from the important work.