In January, my office was relocated to another building in the same city. Since, I believe that you should continually edit your belongings, packing up my office space was a great way to get rid of
some things that I didn’t love, didn’t use and didn’t inspire me. I had documents that were outdated and quotes that were no longer relevant to me. The more I packed away into boxes the more I realized that my life had moved forward, I had edited my home, but I had not changed my office space in quite some time.
So, I edited my office belongings, packed only the personal items that I needed and wanted and moved to my new building. I unpacked the boxes, put files into the cabinets and then got right back to work. Unfortunately though, I had noticed that my productivity was WAY down. I felt unsettled and uneasy and not at all at home. My space was just a workstation and not at all reflective of me nor my personality. Interior Designer Sarah Richardson once said, “If you can create a space that inspires you … you’ll work well. Simple as that.” It is the absolute truth and I know that THAT is why I was not productive. My space was not inspiring and it did nothing to motivate me to work harder, to be better and to achieve greatness.
I spent a number of evenings, considering my new office area, looking for pictures and quotes and things that I love, to add to my space. Most importantly, I really tried to focus on what it is that I want to create in my life. What are my goals and what objects can I place in my area that will remind me to keep my eye on them?
I put up pictures of my family, added a few plants and a contemporary desk lamp to add in some positive energy. I balanced the space with artwork that reminds me of where I wish to go with my career and placed a quote in my space that says “Do More of What Makes You Awesome”. I LOVE my new office and guess what? I am way more productive now and not-so-surprisingly … I seem to have fewer struggles than I did a month ago. Amazing how that works out.
So, while you may not go to work every day and have an office or a cubicle to consider, my guess is that there is at least one place where you do most of your work and spend most of your time, even if that is your kitchen or the home computer that you are sitting at right now. Take a minute and look around you. Are you inspired?
2 comments:
I am always amazed at how when our workspaces are clean, organized, inspiring and calm, we work better. The small things, like chipped paint, marks on the wall, etc. drive me nuts. It seems like I can't help but focus on those imperfections, rather than focus on the actual work that I need to do.
One thing I struggle with, is that I find colleagues or, mostly, subordinates, will come in my office and plunk themselves on one of my (super comfy - too comfy maybe) chairs and never want to leave! Any tips on how to get them to actually leave would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for posting on your blog again!
Nathalie
I believe that intuition is our greatest gift and in this case, yours is likely right on the money. In office settings, your chair should be supportive and ergonomically correct, however your visitors chairs should be slightly less comfortable or they will surely overstay their welcome. If possible, exchange your cozy chairs for some that are firmer and more streamlined and contemporary. In addition, ensure that your visitors seating is situated closer to the door where more chi enters. This will make the visitor slightly less comfortable and more amenable to exiting your office when their time is up.
I suspect that your area may have a yin/yang imbalance - try placing items near the visitors seating that are more yang in nature (bright colours, exciting pictures, shiny objects, mirrored frames, etc). This will encourage the energy to speed up a bit and edge them out your door vs cozying up in the corner for a nice long coffee break at your expense.
Thanks for your comments, Nathalie. If you would like to send me a picture of your space, I might be able to offer other suggestions, including a five element personal assessment. Email me at sandra@transformationaldesign.ca at any time. I would love to help.
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