more office tips

29May08

These are a few things I’ve done, besides feng shui-ing my office, to facilitate concentration, discipline, and inspiration:

• Keep a notepad or notebook nearby, always with a blank page at the top. To me, there is nothing more inspiring or tempting than a blank piece of paper. Never mind technology: get the full experience of jotting down your ideas with a special pen or pencil (I prefer pencil) on attractive paper. I’m a stationery junkie. I prefer proofreading to editing digital files because I have a nice fat manuscript I get to mark up with special pencils and pens, which I like to arrange on my desk just so. It’s also something like preferring a book in my hands, the weight of which I can feel, the paper of which I can riffle and smell and touch. The experience is totally different than using technology and utterly satisfying. It’s also a nice break for the eyes to look away from every kind of monitor all day.
• Wear a watch. I know this isn’t really a home office thing, but it does help me when I leave the office. I’m not a person who likes scheduling or routine. Just this morning it occurred to me that I should probably try wearing my watch in order to keep me focused and disciplined. Don’t rely on your computer clock, because every time you leave your desk to check the mail or let the dog out, time stops, and if you’re billing by the hour, this can’t happen. Wear the watch. Or, for a sense of urgency, get one of those hourglasses Tei’s been talking about!
• If you have a window in your office, open it, even just a little, to let in fresh air.
• Definitely have a place for everything and everything in its place. I find I’m much better able to work with my desk and surroundings kept minimal and very clean and tidy.
• Have only office related stuff to minimize distraction. No children’s or pet toys, dirty dishes, or even beds!
• Don’t clutter your walls, but do hang one or two things you find cheerful or inspirational. Personally, I don’t like to keep a dreary and totally serious office. Work doesn’t have to be drudgery! There’s a “demotivator” by despair.com, a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek site I find incredibly funny, that reads: “Get to work: You aren’t being paid to believe in the power of your dreams.” I find this hilarious! There’s nothing wrong with dreaming, but at the same time, I need to bring in money now. The message is a good kick in the ass and prompts me to stop wasting time in a way I find humorous rather than negative.
• Have some greenery in your office. I’m a major plant lover, and I find it restful on the eyes to look on something healthy and green on my desk or on a shelf in my office. Get rid of dying plants. Best plants for your home office can be found here. I have a bamboo plant on my desk because it doesn’t take up too much space (I need to save room for my new 24″ iMac I plan to have!) and its shape and colour are appealing. It’s also very easy to take care of.
• If you can handle listening to music, keep a stereo in your office. I listen to classical music or jazz while I work sometimes. It’s the only stuff that doesn’t distract me, and I find I need it when I start feeling too isolated and quiet.
• Finally, though sometimes this is impossible, I think this is the most important: have a room of your own. Virginia Woolf said: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” This is true, but I am more inclined to think that I need a room of my own if I’m to have money, period. When we lived in our apartment, my hubby and I sat back to back in the same tiny office. Two computers running, chairs bumping into each other…not a pretty site (or sight!) and hardly good for productivity and concentration. Creating a nook for yourself under the stairs would be better than having your office in your bedroom, say, or where you can’t hide away for the time you need.

What do you do to make your home office work for you? Leave your own tips in the comments section!

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