My Organized Biz

Makeover Wednesday: Casey’s dueling offices

by Jennifer Hofmann on March 26th, 2008

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) - Casey’s son is away at college - and his sort-of former bedroom is one of her two offices. Her other office (not pictured) is in her basement art studio where she spends more of her time.

Because of the dual location set-up, Casey’s having trouble with not finding or having things where they’re needed… because they’re at the other desk.

Here’s how she describes it:

The computer is located upstairs but there is paperwork going on in both locations. Right now the computer must stay upstairs so one of the main problems is that I’m filing papers (or letting them pile up) in more than one location. Add to that the household papers in a third location and it is not surprising that I feel fragmented.

In a perfect world, here’s how Casey wants to feel while she’s working:

I want to feel organized, calm, and collected. I want to have systems and places where things are all in a central location. I feel distracted, rushed, and inefficient in the office space and on writing this I see how it is just wearing down my energy.

Agreed. It’s my fundamental belief that it’s your office’s job to support you and your work. Having to think hard about where you left something drains precious attention and energy, when it could be used on the work you love.

So, I want to thank you for sharing your dilemma, Casey. The following suggestions will give you a place to start - and feel free to follow up with questions or thoughts!

3 suggestions for Casey:

1. Take stock of the emotional aspects of your son’s room.

Casey said, “I’ve been…not changing anything too dramatically for fear of pushing him out.”

I want to say that this is really common for a lot of home-based business owners who have kids who are aaaalmost out of the nest, but not quite.

The bed in particular is a powerful symbol for welcome from parents to their kids. Removing it can be construed as a lack of welcome or a slap in the face. It’s the “you might as well change the locks” kind of thing. So notice what feels true for you about this room and that his bed has remained here so far.

Ask yourself: what’s the primary function of this room? Then begin to redefine it accordingly. Begin to think of it as your office that your son sometimes sleeps in, rather than your son’s room that you use a lot. Emotions may come up as you process this, but remember it’s not an affront to him and that your work is valuable and needs spaciousness to thrive.

2. Have everything in one place

If we were doing consulting work together, I would examine the reasons why the computer must be in this room… and help you navigate transitioning your work into one single place.

Casey mentioned in her “desired setup” description that she wants to have everything in one place. I say go for it.

I’m reading a great book from Alyson Stanfield called I’d Rather Be in the Studio!. Alyson coaches artists all over the world - and she makes a point about how important it is to have your office in your studio.

So give this some thought and begin to make plans that will transition you out of two (almost 3) separate workspaces, so that they can be joined into a cohesive whole. Think about how much time and energy you’ll gain when freed from running up and down stairs to find what you need.

In addition, having one office will prevent the awkward negotations around using your office when your son is actually home and sleeping until noon.

3. Get a temporary bed.

If consolidating the offices isn’t in the plans right away, create more space for yourself in the upstairs room.

Here’s a Coleman bed that’s almost standard height that you can inflate when he’s home - and put away when he’s gone.

If you have cats or think the air mattress might pop for some other reason, look at other bed options that have a smaller footprint than the current one. This will give you found space and still provide him somewhere to sleep when he visits.

Are you ready for a mini-makeover in your office? Here’s how!

Do you have multiple workspaces or share an office with another activity/person? What’s working for you and what are you struggling with?

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POSTED IN: Declutter and downsize, Wednesday Makeover