Archive for September, 2008

Back to the Office

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

 

It’s my first full day in the office since July, I can see that it has suffered for all my play. There are piles in several places, non-deadline oriented projects are still waiting for my attention, dust bunnies need cleaning, plants need watering, and energy needs moving. Let’s face it, I’m a feng shui designer in need of a Natural Balance Workspace Refresh.

I’m imagining there are others out there in the same position. It usually helps me to outline what I’m going to do so I don’t just stand in my overwhelming space and look stupid:

 

1) I’m going to go through my paper piles, one item at a time, and file things away while tracking my Next Actions and Projects through the Getting Things Done method I have set up for myself. When I’m done, there will be no more piles!!!

2) Next I’m going to clear everything in and off my desk and side tables. Recycle and throw away old magazines, pens that don’t work, knickknacks without significant meaning, and craigslist the extra printer we no longer use. It’s time to get rid of the clutter that’s weighing me down.

3) I’m going to clear my shelves and bulletin boards and take a second look at what I want and need at an arm’s reach away. It’s crazy how clients’ floor plans and color palettes have gotten out of control, not to mention the resource library.

4) Dusting and Sweeping. Yahoo! Allergies from cat hair, dog hair and dust piles be gone.

5) Water plants. They are my natural energy and oxygen cleaning resource now that I’m back indoors, so I have a stake in keeping them alive. They are also in my Creative gua, life-theme area, and I’m clear that I really need this spiritual energy in everything I do (including writing this blog).

6) I’m good with the color on my walls and the furniture in my workspace, but if you know you’re in need of a style update, insert this task here. Picking the right color takes time, as well as choosing furniture you want to live with that supports you ergonomically. Do your research, or hire a professional, like me, to help you make the right decisions the first time around.

 

7) Next, the finishing touches. I am going to take a close look at the artwork, 2-D and 3-D, to see what still inspires me and what has become dead-weight. It might be sad to admit that a beautiful statue placed in here a year ago no longer does it for me, but life moves on and so must I. Keeping that statue out of guilt won’t help me land the new client I’m after, will it?

Finally, set new intentions for the last quarter of 2008. I’m going to sit in my refreshed workspace, quiet and focused, and write down my business goals on a clean piece of stationery, with a brand new pen – no old energy allowed into my new goals. Then I am going to do the same for my personal life and place them near pieces of art that visually inspire me around my goals. It always feels so good to be clear with myself, and the Universe, and I’m amazed at how effective it is – I tripled my business last year through working this process (just like in The Secret).

YES! A plan for a brand new office! I know it will take me some time to work through every step thoroughly, so I have marked it in my calendar – if it’s not on my agenda, it won’t get done. I’m also making a commitment to myself do every step. Having done this before, I know I’ll be much more effective and energized if I do them all!

Good luck with your office. And let me know how it’s going. Shared sticking points can be education for the masses. And on the flip side, the more motivational Workspace Refresh/OfficeShui stories we all hear, the more success we’ll all have – let’s ramp up the Collective Work-Consciousness, so to speak.