Personalizing your space gives you confidence and enables you to work more efficiently and productively.
Sometimes people wonder if it’s worth putting any of their own time and resources into their office space, especially if it’s not in their home.
Many times investing into the organization of your work space will help you to be the best worker personally and professionally.
Let’s Start With Your Desk
Desks come in many shapes and sizes. Some have built-in drawers and some have none. If you’ve been issued a desk, making the most of what you have is your best bet.
Benefits of a Standing Desk
One of the fastest growing employee benefits is to use a standing desk. Research has discovered that sitting still for a long period of time is not healthy. Some of the benefits of a standing desk include lowering the risk of weight gain, blood sugar, heart disease, and back pain.
If you don’t have a standing desk, it is still a good idea to get up and move around every once in a while. Many people who use a fitness type of a watch will get a reminder to walk for 250 steps per hour.
One way to do this is if you have filing cabinets that are not attached to your desk. It gives you an opportunity to get up and move. You can also just stand up in place and do some bending and stretching while at your desk.
Make it Efficient
So let’s talk about the efficiency of your desk. Basically, it is a rectangular work surface, what you do with that rectangle is personal.
Likely you’re going to have a computer on your desk, whether it be a laptop or desktop.
You will also likely have sorting bins for in-coming, out-going, shred, deadlines, urgent (or whatever labels are logical in your line of work.)
If you have Post-it notes sitting all over your desk it’s going to be very hard to keep track of them unless you have some sort of organizational system like different color codes and/or numerical prioritization, digitally, or using an app.
Many people have found having a notebook or planner next to them to be a more useful system.
I think having a to-do list everyday helps to prioritize the needs of the day. It also gives a sense of accomplishment as you cross the items off of your list.
I like to make a general list of all the “goals” of the day. I then go back and number them in order of priority. There are many digital apps and tools these days to help with organization that can be downloaded to keep track of your tasks, if you prefer to do it digitally.
Organizing Your Drawers
Many desks have drawers. It is nice to have a drawer divider or organizer to keep things tidy. I like to have a separate place for extra pens, Post-it notes, paper clips, color coded flags, a letter opener, stapler, tape, scissors, Tide pen, etc.
I also like to have hanging file folders that are color coded and have labels. I like to have my labels done either alphabetically or by category.
This concept also applies in a home office. If you have filing cabinets for your personal things you likely have categories for auto, credit card, house, school, medical, birth certificates, taxes, and other important documents.
I have so many file folders that if I did not keep them alphabetized I would never be able to find what I was looking for. I also keep some random things in there for information that I would like to know in the future like camping destinations or cruise tips.
Touch it Once
Sometimes we like to clean off our desk without sorting and we just shove it all into a drawer. This does not help us and creates more dreaded work in the long run.
If we sort and categorize as we go, we work efficiently and smartly. Toss or shred what you do not need, it’s like the old adage of touching mail only once. Smart and effective.
Making it Pretty
This is where the fun and creative juices get to flow. There are many desk organizers that come in a variety of colors, textures, and materials to suit every style of a person. Having some coordination is fun! You can also tie it in with a rug, artwork, and your waste bin.
Picking a couple of favorite colors to tie the space together and bring harmony and function to your workspace is key.
Figuring out what is sparking your joy at the moment and going with that theme is what will give you the pleasure of being in that space right now.
Yes, our tastes change. You don’t have to keep the same look for the next 20 years. Pick what works for you now. A color, pattern, modern, feminine, masculine, studious, professional, creative. Your choice. Whatever gives you a smile inside. Once you’ve determined what that look is, go with it.
Personally I have an old antique desk and I like to go with more of a library theme, at least in my home office.
Some of my favorite things to have on my desk include a bouquet of fresh flowers or a plant. I like to have a neat container filled with pens, highlighters, and scissors. I like to have some business cards in a stand on my desk.
Some additional items many find useful, myself included, would be a task lamp, a fan or little heater, headphones or speaker, a water bottle, and a plug in warmer to keep your coffee hot.
Some useful things to keep inside your desk drawers include cleaning goo, for keeping your keyboard clean, deodorant, a stress ball or fidget item, silverware, notecards and stamps, a nail file, hair tie, and some healthy snacks or sparkling water.
It’s also nice to have hand sanitizer, napkins and disinfectant wipes available. Some people like to keep a spare pair of comfy shoes or flats in their desk drawer for those long days.
When it comes to keeping wires tidy, some people like to use a cable organizer or multi-port charging station or stand. To help reduce eye strain, you can also get computer glasses that filter out the blue light.
Logical Placement
Placement of things on your desktop as well as in the drawers is a personal choice. Some desks are smaller and cannot hold all of the items you find essential.
This is where getting creative helps. Keeping the things that will be used frequently in close range, makes the most sense. Once things are set up, you can be an efficient worker.
If you are constantly searching for something, it wastes time. Setting your drink within reach and yet not obstructing your keyboard area is logical.
Some people like a personalized water bottle or mug that coordinates with their office or gives an inspirational word to give them that additional spark.
Finding out what makes you happy and function at a productive and balanced level is what propels us to do our best and be our best, both at work and at home.
Having the tools around us to make that easier brings joy.
There is nothing more frustrating than when you want to do something right and you lack the tools. Think of running out of staples, ink for a printer, cannot find a scissor, or your laptop ran out of power and you cannot find a charging cable.
These are things we avoid by proper planning and setting things up right the first time.
If you are on the phone a lot, I would recommend wireless earbuds or headphones so you can keep your hands free. I tend to take notes when I’m talking to someone so I can jot down the important details for later reference.
Again, setting yourself up for success is key. Some of this may be second nature to you, and some may be a bright new idea. Take any good ideas in life and implement them, this is how we become better humans.
Organization is Key
Being organized will help with the overall flow and efficiency of work. Picking the accessories that appeal to you makes it a more positive work environment.
Trust me, there has to be some restraint here as we cannot all go out and buy everything brand new and/or designer goods. What we can do, is to start by finding a piece or something that brings us closer to our dream office.
Set A Budget
Set a budget to get started. Say you are going to spend $100 to improve your work space. Likely you have the basics covered: desk, lighting, filing cabinet or drawers, filing folders, labels, pens, paper, computer, mouse, and a printer.
Now you get to decide if you want to get color coordinated folders or labels, or if a nice set of pens makes you happy. Or if you want to splurge and get a rug or desk organizers, new wall art, a bouquet or plant (or an artificial one.)
However you decide to personalize your space, know that you can do more in the future. Know that you can change it if something comes along that will be useful or bring joy.
Sometimes getting a new chair that’s more comfortable or that breathes makes sense. Maybe it’ll be an adjustable desk.
My brother actually has a treadmill set up with a stand for his laptop, that way he can walk while he’s on a conference call and have the information he needs at his fingertips.
Again, catering to your personal taste and needs will make you a more productive and happier worker. Take the time to organize and beautify your environment one step at a time.
Once you are set up, you will have confidence and excitement to go slay those dragons!
Feel free to share pictures of your office space or ideas that would benefit others. So many great ideas out there!
I hope you have been inspired to invest some time and resources into your office space, after all, we tend to spend a significant amount of our time in there. It’s nice to have it be comfortable, personal and functional.
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