No matter what you do, whether it’s an office-type job or something more manual, such activity is framed in the context of the environment. It’s an obvious consideration – photographers work in a studio, car mechanics at an auto shop, cooks in the kitchen. In fact when I think of a profession or a hobby, the environment self apparent – there’s no consideration that I would give to the environment of an accountant, for example.
And yet people are inherently driven to customize their primary workspace as best they can. When I join a new organization, I’m always curious to see who are the best people in the organization and I consider how their cubicle is set up. Of course in a corporate environment there are some limitations to what can be done in the confines of a 10’x10’ space, and still there is a big difference between how people decorate their working space.
Some of my co-workers post a few pictures of their family and friends, others listen to a radio, many bring their own computer keyboards and mice from home. Some people will place a plant on or near their desk. Some keep their desks clean and tidy, with each project organized in rows of color-coded folders, while others have dozens of seemingly random post-it notes in all colors of the rainbow with one-two word scribbles on their monitor. But no matter how clean or messy your workstation is, there is no doubt that how an environment is set up will have a very strong effect on your creativity and how productive you are.
If the type of work you do requires long periods of concentration, perhaps a quiet room with a door and few distractions is called for. If you find it uncomfortable to sit in your chair for more than fifteen minutes without getting a stiff neck then a chair/desk/monitor adjustment is in order.
One of the easiest ways I found to set up my work area at home is by starting with a comfortable chair. This doesn’t need to be an expensive Aeron, and I encourage you to check out your local area offerings on CraigsList. I live in a suburban area and was able to save a considerable amount of money by getting furniture and smaller appliances this way. The minimum requirement I would expect from a chair is that it’s adjustable-height and is comfortable to sit in.
If during your evaluation you find that your desk is too low, you can raise it with furniture risers available in home improvement and hardware stores. If the desk doesn’t offer enough tabletop area for the type of work that you do, perhaps a look at CraigsList will assist you with finding something more suitable. My current desk is 20”x40” and works out great because I only have my laptop, a pencil holder and a 5”x7” notepad.
I have heard from many people that they find a cluttered desk distracting, and the easiest way to fix that is to remove everything from the tabletop. All of the office supplies, pens, knick-knacks, computer and office accessories, etc. should be removed. For now, find a place for them either in a desk drawer, or if your particular desk doesn’t have one then on a bookshelf near by in a bin of some sort. Start with essentials that you need on the desk – in my example it’s just the laptop and a computer mouse. Everything else like scissors, paperclips, post-it notes, pens, rulers, staplers and anything else I might use but have no immediate need for is stored in the desk drawer, and is returned there after each use.
This simple setup works very well and ensures that there are no distractions in my immediate field of view which would pull my attention away from what I’m working on. Because I’ve loaded a varied selection of music on my computer I no longer have a need for an MP3 player at my desk and if I find that my motivation is lacking in the moment an upbeat rhythm is just a few clicks away.
I purposely don’t have any photographs, posters or anything else on my desk because I’ve found that those items don’t add any value and are either an impediment to quickly dusting my work area when it’s time to clean. A few steps away (not immediately adjacent to my desk) I have a small bookshelf which contains all my reference books, a cup with a couple pens and pencils and a plant just to liven up my workspace a bit. I don’t have a lamp as in my case the ceiling lights provide ample illumination, and if they didn’t I’d get a free-standing floor lamp just to remain consistent with the goal of keeping my immediate tabletop work area void of any extraneous items.
There are many ways to add organization to a desk, but I’ve found that all desk organizers are trying to solve a problem that shouldn’t exist in the first place. With no distractions and a comfortable space I can relax and concentrate in I’ve found that it’s a place I look forward to being creative in as opposed to being cluttered and uncomfortable.
Since the environment you do most of your work in has such a large impact on what you can accomplish, it’s much better to align this space with how you work instead of wasting energy to fight what is to a large extent under your control.
Whatever your current working environment is, it is a good investment of time to set it up so that it’s comfortable and relaxing because it’s impossible to enjoy being somewhere that is haphazard and uncomfortable, and that translates to less stress and an environment where your creativity can flourish. Just imagine how different you could feel if the environment you set up just the way which would put you at ease could also facilitate your creativity and allow you to become as productive as you can in complete comfort and without any distractions.
This is one of the instances where time invested here will pay dividends every time you’re working on accomplishing your goals.
