As we "celebrate" Organize Your Home Office Day on March 8th let's quickly review some quick tips on HOW to de-clutter:
***Clutter is the physical manifestation of your emotional baggage-The Clutter Counselor. What are YOU hanging on to & why?***
- The 3 Questions that you must ask of EVERY ITEM in your Home Office is: Do you LOVE it? Do you USE it? Do you NEED it? If it doesn't serve a positive, useful purpose for the function of the room, it doesn't belong in the room!
- If you haven't used an item in 1 year, it needs to go. Donate it, toss it or use in another room...
- If your Home Office is a shared space (i.e. a guest bedroom, a corner in the family room) make sure that there is a dedicated area for you to perform the duties that you need to, to be effective in your work (i.e. a screen, curtains or a "do not disturb" sign for the doorknob).
OK...all of the un-needed, un-used & un-loved stuff is gone, now what? The desk should be re-positioned to the Power Position for maximum support. The Power Position is the diagonal corner from the entryway as you look INTO the room. By placing your desk in this position, it offers you a view of the entire space & all who enter or passby. (This is one of the reasons why working in cubicles is so distracting). Desk should be placed facing IN to the room, rather than facing a wall or window. A solid back should be behind you (i.e. when sitting your back isn't to a window) for "support". If you'd like to utilize some Feng Shui here, place a picture of a mountain behind your desk chair, this will "lend you support" & "protect you" from behind.
***If your desk faces a wall you will, subconsciously, always be "up against a wall" when trying to make decisions and/or trying to implement new ideas. If this is the ONLY way you can position the desk, make sure that there is detailed artwork hanging above the desk. The perils of having your desk face a window, is the distractions & glare that will present itself-especially on nice, sunny days! It's best to position your desk at a 90 degree angle to the window, forming a "T" to minimize this.***
If you're lucky enough to get to paint or you are setting up a new Home Office, try to incorporate your company's logo colors into your color scheme. (I do this in all of my office designs for clients to help with branding the company image/message). And again, looking to Feng Shui, incorporating the color BLUE not only helps to activate the Knowledge Life Area, but also gives your eye a place to "rest" from computer eyestrain. (ex: a BLUE area rug, flowers, chair pillows).
And lastly, when trying to accessorize your Home Office, only bring in items that are inspiring & applicable to a professional office setting-even though you work from home. This is still an office & needs to be treated as such. Any certificates or recognition trophies, awards & the like can all be displayed here (or in the SUCCESS Life Area (center portion of the far wall when standing at the doorway looking in). Want to display pictures of your significant other, friends & children? That's fine, but again, make sure it's work appropriate which means your wedding photo-OK, swimsuit photos of you at the pool bar-No.
General Tips:
- If you don't have a shredder, purchase one. Shred any old, un-needed paperwork, CDs or receipts to a) efficiently dispose of it, b) help stop identity theft.
- A scanner will help reduce paper in your office.
- Clutter can also refer to old files & emails on your computer. Use the 3 Questions for your computer as well.
- If you have books or manuals that you need for reference, or other items that you don't use on a daily basis, utilize the vertical wall space. A 2-3" shelf placed at plate rail height will give you some storage space & will also act as "artwork" in the room. You will still have access to items, but won't be in your work space.
- Only work on 1-3 projects at a time. Any more & you'll become overwhelmed & can procrastinate then on all projects.
Most importantly, when organizing your Home Office, it is vital that you sit & figure out HOW you USE the space. Do you even work at a desk or write on your laptop on a comfy chair? Do you need a lot of flat work space for drawings or just work on a PC or MAC? Set up desk accordingly & make sure you have whatever work tools you need at the ready (i.e. pencils, scissors, stapler) & that supplies (i.e. toner, ink cartridges, paper) where they are needed. This will help you be efficient & more productive!
***Make sure to check out the Bante Design YouTube channel for video minis on Feng Shui for the Office & Feng Shui for Cubicles***
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