Everyone’s working style is different but there are some main features that promote productive working spaces. Taking the time to organise your home office is more important than you think!
Declutter
Anything that doesn’t belong or has served it purpose remove, keep your space clutter free where ideas and efficiency can flow freely.
Zones
Divide your area into zones. Workspace, reference area, supplies, filing – this makes it easier to keep things organised.
Label
Storage containers, files both physical and digital, supplies – you get the idea.
Paper
Get into the habit of scanning any physical paper that comes into your office. If you do need to keep anything, use the same style of filing that you do for digital that will make it easier to find
Mail and bills
Have one place to put these and have a day and time to action them. Eg: Wednesday morning you open mail and schedule payments then action it immediately – file, action, bin.
Shredder
To keep your privacy in tact purchase a shredder that has an automatic feeder so you don’t have to sit and feed individual papers in.
Reminders
Without them our worlds would stop, our brains are busy concentrating on the now and creating ideas for the future so when you choose your reminder system, choose one that is mobile and preferably one that syncs over all devices – we use Outlook.
Functionality – A workspace that suits your purpose, comfortable chair if you sit, the tools you use often at hand. If possible, try to have a window so you get natural light. Make it easy and comfortable to work in your office.
Aesthetics – your working space must feel like a place you want to be. Have visually appealing items in your office that calm, inspire or just make you feel happy and will help with productivity.
Ideas board – this can be online with software like Trello, Evernote, Pinterest or you can have a physical copy using a whiteboard, corkboard or sheet of cardboard.
Your workspace and tools will be changed many times to suit your evolving needs, I have recently done a big declutter on my office and one of my favourite spots is a reading chair where I take time out to catch up on the multitude of blogs, books and articles that flag my interest.
For a sneak peak at one of our home offices Sara’s does a quick show and tell here…..
