My office excites me. Every morning when I walk in (and especially after being away for travel), I ignite with the potential of the day. I’ve taken a bit of crap for this in my career. Even in my smallest of offices, I always had fresh flowers, pictures that inspire me, a tiny coffee maker – anything that would look, smell, and feel like motivation — anything that would help me get inspired.
Today my office contains a substantial library, organized beautifully, lovely light wood furniture with clean lines, beautiful art – including a few sculptures - and windows on three sides. My office is where I go to create, to achieve, to succeed, and I expect great things of myself when I am in my office.
Of course, sometimes my desk gets out of control. I come in to piles in three places, and I immediately feel weighted down. The creativity goes out the window. If I’m smart about it, I clear it immediately. But I’m not always smart about it, and sometimes that weighted energy is allowed to stay for several days before I snap to the fact that if I just cleared the space, I would get my groove back. I’ve also noticed that having to deal with dirty coffee cups in the morning is a downer, whereas clearing out the dirty coffee cups at the end of the day brings a peaceful sense of closure.
Why does this matter? Because environment matters. The quality of your work space, its energy, the sounds within it, the way it makes you feel – all these things have profound impact on the work that you create there. You probably already know this, but it’s so easy to lose sight of it in the day-to-day hustle of business. So today is a good day to set aside some time to reinvigorate your work place.
You can make almost any space an inspiring space. I have had magnificent cubicles, an office the size of a closet that I turned into a cozy refuge, and the corner of my kitchen that allowed me to work at home when my children were small. I found that I had to turn whatever I was given to work with into a space that inspired me. Of course, if you are dealing with poor air quality, mold, or intensely noisy neighbors, this advice will only go so far. But assuming that you have some control over your workspace, turn it into a place you can’t wait to get to in the morning. Your customers – and your mental health! - will thank you!
