The best working space I ever had was a large boardroom table in a wide front hallway. The only thing on the table was my computer and the only other piece of furniture in the room was a small bookcase. On that bookcase was an African violet and a telephone. I remember this setup fondly because that was the summer I averaged 2,500 words a day in my freelance writing career. I actually got a physical sense of wellbeing as I wrote. My work flowed faster and my brain clicked at a faster rate. It was a very happy summer.
That was a summer rental. The next summer, encouraged by that lovely peaceful working holiday, I rented a cottage with a spectacular view and set up a little desk in the main room. It was a disaster. I felt fidgety and kept getting up to make yet another cup of coffee for myself. It was not until I took all the pictures down and rearranged the furniture that I was able to get some serious work done.
Since my work involves organization and decluttering – I’ve been the Chaos Queen for nearly a decade now – it should not have been difficult for me to grasp why that first place was such a conducive work spot. It was completely uncluttered and there was everything I needed to do my work right there at my fingertips.
You see, things have power. The items around us nag at our subconscious. A stack of papers teetering on the shelf behind you will make its presence known and slice into your subconscious. Clutter and disorganization will throw you off schedule. I have heard that the average person spends 45 minutes a day looking for lost items – keys, check book, glasses.
We race around in never-ending circles, trying to find tranquility, trying to find daylight at the end of the tunnel, trying to find our keys. The reality is that if we took 5 minutes at the end of a day to tidy our space and our minds, we would have more time, more ease of mind, and more productivity. We do not need a bigger storage space, a faster PDA, or a complete make-over of our personalities. What we need is a system that we can develop as we go.
Whether you write, manage a company, do crafts, keep books, or fix computers, your work calls for a certain toolbox full of specific tools. You need what you need and not one iota more to carry out your job. And you need it at hand. This gives you control over things, not the other way around. Take a look at your workspace right now and see how oppressed you are by objects crowding you. You are about to take the first step to organizational freedom. In 5 minutes you will see a change.
Get a box or bag. A grocery bag will do. Sit down. Now take everything within reach and decide whether to keep it in your workspace or not. NOTE: Keep only one of each item. Toss the rest into the box or bag. Set the box or bag out of your sight. Rearrange what is left.
Don’t you feel better already?
As for the stuff you moved away – well, tomorrow is another day and you will have another five minutes.
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