If you work from home it’s especially hard to balance. Work is always within arm’s reach. It’s waiting for you, reminding you of what you didn’t get done today.

What can you do? One thing you can try is separating your office space from your living space. Well, as much as you can, depending on how much space you have.

For instance, at our place, we have very limited space. We’re in a one-bedroom condo. So much for a separate office, right? Our bedroom is big enough, though, for me to tuck my desk into one corner. It’s not ideal, as I would prefer not to have my work staring at me first thing in the morning. But we do what we can with what we have available, right?

Ideally, you should keep your office in a separate room, with a door. If it is in the corner of another room, try a privacy screen. If you delineate your office space from other spaces, you can get up and walk away when your work day is over.

Yes, I said when it’s over. You do have set working hours, don’t you? That’s something else you need to balance your work and personal lives.

Image: morgueFile

Post from: My Organized Biz

(myorganizedbiz.com) – So we talk a lot about the virtues of a clean or uncluttered desk. How a nice, clean desk will help you be more productive, help you find things more quickly, polish your car, and shine your shoes. Okay, maybe not the last two.

But do you really need a clean desk? Can a desk have a lot of ’stuff’ on it, neatly organized into categories?

I’m wondering what ways people work best. For some, it’s a minimalist desk: computer, phone, notepad. For others, it’s a desk with tons of pictures and knick knacks. Or maybe everything from a project close at hand.

I don’t mean a desk that’s piled high with papers, hopelessly jumbled together. I’m thinking of a desk that has lots of things, but they’re neatly arranged, categorized, and fairly easy to get to/ go through. If you can’t find anything on your desk, then it’s time to clear it off or organize it.

But what may be clutter to some is just comfortable or familiar to you. So what works for you? Do you forget about things in drawers? Does open storage space seem too cluttered to you?

I’m curious about how you keep your desk when you’re doing your best work. What type of desk tops work for you?

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – One of my desk drawers is rapidly becoming a junk drawer. Oh, it didn’t start out that way, but over time it has become a sort of catch-all for the things I don’t know what to do with.

The drawer contains a bunch of cords that I know I need for various electronic devices. Software for my laptop and desktop. Extra sharpies. My iPod shuffle. Extra earphones. Battery chargers. There may even be some other items lurking under the mess.

So this week, I’m going to conquer this drawer. I plan to empty it completely and start over. First, I’m going to determine if I need everything in there. If I don’t need it, it’ll either go in the donation pile or the trash.

Second, I’m going to organize all of those cords. I’m going to fold the cords, put a rubber band on them, and label them so I know what they go to. It should make the drawer neater and easier to close.

Third, I’ll arrange the rest of the items in the drawer neatly so I’ll be able to find things later. The software is already stacked nicely, so I just need to see if there’s anything that I’m no longer using. So they will probably go back in pretty much the same way.

Finally, I’ll try to keep it that way. I will take some before and after pictures to remind myself of how good it looks when it’s nice and neat. Once it’s properly organized, it’s so much easier to work to keep it that way.

What projects are you working on this week? How’s it going? Are you losing speed, or needing some motivation or encouragement? Let us cheer you on!

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BIG thanks go to:

Ann Espo at One Bag Nation shared practical ideas to give everything a place.

Vicky White at Life Design Strategies wrote how to Position Your Desk for Power.

Karen Henderson of Get Organized & More shared Feng Shui Tips that Energize Your Office.

Coach Alison Marks of Inside Out Design Coaching asked Is Your Workspace Working Against You?

Brandie Kajino, The Home Office Organizer wrote that Organization is a State of Mind.

Coach Maggie McCauley of A New View wrote about Filing with Ease.

Happy Monday!

Post from: My Organized Biz

Post by Vicky White

Did you ever see a CEO sitting with their back to the door?

I didn’t think so.

Much of Feng Shui is intuitive. What CEOs know instinctively, we often need to be reminded of – especially if our desks or our rooms do not lend themselves to being in the ‘power position’, which is what it’s called when you have a view of the door from where you sit.

Feng Shui Rules for Desk Placement:

1. Position your desk so you can see the door of your office – even if just from the corner of your eye. The principle behind this is that when you can see the door, which puts you in a position of power – aware of anyone coming into the room. Sit with your back to the door, you’ll likely attract situations sneaking up behind you to take you by surprise – whether in person or symbolically.

This applies even if you live alone and have all the doors and windows locked. Much of Feng Shui is about symbolism – it’s the same here.

2. Place your desk as far from the door as you can – if you’re in a direct line with the door, energy coming into the room is coming straight for you and in Feng Shui this is never good – not with your desk, not with your bed. This can lead to stress and even illness.

3. Sit with a solid wall behind your chair – this gives you and your business solid backing.

Now, these are the ideals. Sometimes because of the type of desk you have, or the size of the room, you are not able to position your desk in accordance with the idea.

If you really can’t sit with a view of the door, the way around this is to place a mirror so you can see the door from where you sit. A good test is to ask yourself: if someone came and stood in my doorway, would I catch sight of the movement?

The power position puts you and your business a step ahead before you even begin.

Vicky White is an Inner Feng Shui Coach. She works with creative women to move through transition to reinvention, so they can live with passion, purpose and meaning at all stages of their lives. Read more from Vicky’s blog.

Have a question about your desk and how to position it? Vicky’s responding to comments about this post while Jennifer is away!

Post from: My Organized Biz

I just read a great article from The Montreal Gazette that has some super solutions so the perfect work space doesn’t have to be such a head-scratcher. Check it out here.

Thanks to Thursday Bram for the tip!

Post from: My Organized Biz

“I’m really visual. If I can’t see something, I’ll forget all about it and it won’t get done.”

At its worst, people who are strongly visual end up piling things on their desks because they need to be able to see it all. This creates a cramped, cluttered feeling they dislike. Unfortunately, if life gets busy or there isn’t an effective tracking system, things can get out of control and as lost on the desk as a file cabinet.

Visual people hate file cabinets.

However, vision is the strongest of the 5 senses and it can be used to advantage when organizing. I’d love to hear about the ways you accommodate your visual sense to help you stay on track.

What kinds of files or other separators do you use?
How do you remind yourself to do things?
What tips do you have for other struggling visual organizers?

Chime in with an idea and you could win a $10 gift certificate to Powell’s World of Books (winner chosen at random). If you have pictures of your organizing tips, even better. All of us visual people will be very, very happy.

Post from: My Organized Biz

Move your chair - If you’re seated, you might be likely to check email or get distracted. So move your chair away from your desk. Stand in front of your desk and give yourself a big picture view.

Set?

Get a timer – Whether it’s lemon-shaped or on your phone, set it for 15 minutes.

Go!

Rev your engine and start moving. Only pick up one thing at a time and then make a decision about where it should go – recycling, garbage, files, mail, etc.

• Toss (recycle) anything you haven’t looked at in over a month and/or “might need someday”. Chances are good you can find it online. So let it go.
• Put like things together. Just make a small pile until you decide where they should go. A client of mine found she had 6 separate peices of paper with leads she wanted to follow up on. Putting them together helped her figure out what to with them next.
• If something only takes a few minutes to complete (like putting a date in your calendar), do it while you’re cleaning so you don’t have to pick it up again later.

Stop when the timer goes off – and you’ll have a neater desk at the end. If you want to keep working, go for it, but I recommend giving yourself a break (and a pat on the back). You can plan another 15 minutes later on.

C’mon, you’re just perusing the internet right now. You’ve got 15 minutes, don’t you? Go ahead – stand up and push your chair back. It’s not so hard – and you’ll feel sooo much better when you’re done.

Post from: My Organized Biz

(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?

Post from: My Organized Biz

Here are 3 tips to solve the snarl.

• A great product called the Ativa Burrito is a pouch with a velcro closure.
• Plastic twist-ties can hold cords together and also secure a series of loops so all the cords are the right length.
• The other great way to wrangle cords? Just put them where you can’t see them. Because humans are such visually-oriented critters, the cords won’t bug you near as much if you can’t see them.

What are your cord dilemmas? Have you found solutions that work for you? Care to share them?

Post from: My Organized Biz

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