Last month I wrote about the importance of a clean and organized desk, and how your workspace is ultimately a reflection of your work. After applying my tips in that article, your desk may now be in order, but how do you feel about the rest of your home office? Do you love it? Hate it? Do you look forward to returning each work day to this space?
With approximately 50% of the U.S. population working from home at least some of the time, a dedicated home office space has become more important now than ever, and how you feel about it will ultimately impact your ability to produce quality work. If you find yourself working in other places besides this dedicated space (for example, the living room couch) you may want to consider upgrading your home office. Here are three areas for your consideration:
Furniture
When you first set up your home office, what kind of furniture did you choose? If you were on a shoe-string budget as a start-up, you may have opted for affordable options–perhaps furniture that was on sale or acquired second hand. Now that you are further along in your solopreneur journey, and have more income, you may wish to upgrade your furniture to better suit your needs.
One of my clients bought a standing desk on sale at Costco when she first started her business, but quickly realized the beautiful–but impractical–glass top made her arms feel uncomfortable any time she had to rest them on the surface while typing. She STILL hasn’t replaced this desk because of the psychological phenomenon called, “The Sunk Cost Fallacy” in which you have a hard time spending the necessary money for something that would better serve you because you’ve already spent money on something else that isn’t. Don’t fall prey to this! Consider how much more comfortable and productive you’ll be moving forward with better suited furniture. It’s worth the investment, believe me.
To avoid making future mistakes of this kind, you may want research ergonomic design to identify what will make you more comfortable when you’re at your desk. It’s also important to consider the quality of the furniture and how it makes you feel when you look at it. Take the time you need and invest in furniture you will feel proud of and will last you a long time.
Aesthetics
When you walk into your home office, how does it make you feel? Is the light warm and welcoming? Do you have decorations and personal mementos that inspire you? Do you have furniture you look forward to using? Is this space a reflection of who you are and who you aspire to be?
Besides applying principles of good design and arrangement–for example, Feng Shui–you may want to consider what you want the overall look of your office to be. What color palette do you want to use? How can things be functional and beautiful at the same time? What photos or memories stimulate you in your work? Do you need to incorporate more nature–such as plants–to give your office more “life” and improve the quality of the air? What effect would an organized and orderly workspace have on how you feel about your work? What role can lighting play in your mood? These are all good questions to consider when choosing the overall look of such an important space.
Storage
Related to aesthetics is the need for adequate and pleasing-to-the-eye storage solutions. Before you run to a specialty store to find the perfect container for your paperclips, you may want to ensure that what you have is actually what you need. Do you really need so many different colored pens? Or such a large filing cabinet if most of your papers are stored digitally these days? Consider what has become important in your work and discard items you no longer use or are no longer necessary. Often in our enthusiasm to start our solopreneur journey, we wind up buying the whole office supply store! Opt for minimalism and you’ll find you need less space than you thought and can invest in better quality and more aesthetically-pleasing storage options.
If you find you could use some help in designing a functional and enjoyable home office, let me know and we can work together to do just that. After all, there’s no place like working from home! Or, get started right away on your own by getting a copy of my book, There’s No Place Like Working from Home! right here.
