Inspiration in Your Office

Break the block.

When you get stuck in a rut, face writer’s block or some similar loss of creativity and feel boxed in in your office, there are a few ways to get out of it. One of the first lines of defense is a makeover. No, you are not going to the salon. No, you are not going to the DIY center.

Spring Cleaning

I prefer to think of organizing the office as alphabetizing the chaos. Creative people do not like to clean, so let’s keep it simple.

First, be creative…no sense in this being a chore! Add some color to your in box by splitting it into a more effective to do system. Pick your three favorite (or matching) colored boxes or baskets. If you prefer using your desk or filing cabinet to organize, use three drawers. Let’s name them today, tomorrow and everyday.

“Today” contains tasks which are already late and those which will take less than 30 minutes to complete. Finish at least one task from this box everyday or empty it everyday.

“Tomorrow” holds tasks that take less than one day to complete and those nearing deadline. Schedule a day to do these tasks or devote two hours each day to these tasks. When they are almost finished, they can move to today.

“Everyday” contains those big projects. Work on them everyday for 10-30 minutes until they are finished. When they are small enough to fit in tomorrow, move them.

If you are not ever going to do it, bin it. This step may be painful, but it is critical to de-cluttering your office. Now, the projects are off of your desk. This will help you concentrate on one project at a time.

TWO

Second, tackle all of those loose papers and envelopes on your desk. Instead of hiding them, or putting them into your new “to do” system, finish them for good.

Use an alphabet file for receipts and a calendar (1-31) file for bills. File receipts and check stubs under the payee name or expense (office supplies, postage). Easy for tax time! File bills under the number 7 days before they are due. Each day take out that day’s bills and pay them. Then drop the portion of the bill you keep in your alphabet file.

If personal mail has found its way to your office, answer it. Put your letter in an envelope with a stamp and walk it out to the mailbox. Then, throw the mail away. If you must keep it, move it to your scrapbook space, memories box or photo album.

THREEThird, place a source of inspiration in the view of your desk. A plant, a picture of your (grand)children, your favorite book or a frame of your first copy (or rejection letter) make great inspiration pieces. Just be sure to choose something which will inspire your writer or artist within.

Now, all that is left on your desk is a paper clip chain, four sticky note pads, six pens that still write and your stress relieving squeeze ball. Rake all of that into your desk drawer. A messy desk is the sign of genius, after all.

Sit in your chair and survey your organized office. If all of the neatness makes you uncomfortable, just peek in the drawer! Get to what you love…write about how creative you are in your organized workspace!

This plan works equally as well for craft spaces and DIY workshops. Use it to de-clutter the space where you create.

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What is your inspiration in your office? Do you already have the “to do” system? How often do you rearrange your office?


(c) Red Dwyer 2012
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35 Comments

  1. My ‘office’ doubles as part of my living room, so that helps motivate me to keep things tidy. Mostly. Sometimes. In theory. Or that was the theory. I think.
    *this comment would appear much more impressive if you knew how much clutter I had to sift through to get down to keyboard level…*
    🙂

    Reply
    • I stay on my laptop, too…when I am not on the damnable electronic leash a la BlackBerry. To that end, it makes me keep the space neat. I have not sat at my actual desk in …*takes off other shoe*…months. Helps me to put it back in the case when I am finished with it.

      Reply
  2. Hi Red. I’m supposed to write in an office? I don’t even own a desk. I write on my laptop in my lazy boy chair, in front of the television. 🙂

    Reply
    • I am totally down with the comfort! If I did this from a recliner, there would be far more zzz in what I write 😉

      Reply
  3. I keep a whiteboard with a running list of projects.
    Occasionally, when the clutter overwhelms, I will clean off my desk.

    Reply
    • The whiteboard is a good thing. I am a perpetual list maker. I am also a list crosser-offer. Recently, I have become aware I am an endangered species, mugging notwithstanding.

      Reply
  4. My office is in al alcove in my bedroom. A cool 9 cubby bookcase separates me from the boudoir. I have baskets I store my junk in and file cabinets under my desk top (they’re holding it up) with alphabetized folders. I don’t believe I would ever be able to find anything without them.

    You are correct. When the area is messy, I fall flat on my face and can’t function. No, I am not always neat. This is a timely post. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Oh, pooh. I am so not neat. There is always order, even when the filing system is the entire living room floor…which is where I do some of my best research, in between throwing dice with the children. 😉

      Reply
  5. Since my laptop is my office, I find it rather easy to keep it organized (defragmented).

    Great post, Red! Thought provoking…

    Reply
  6. I agree with Marc, my laptop is my office and Wendy, I sit in my recliner. I actually have a desk where I keep everything else. What I have trouble organizing is how much time I spend writing versus networking! Networking is a full time job! I need to write something, lol!

    Reply
    • LOL! I spend a lot less time networking than I used to in traditional terms. More and more of my networking happens on M3 than anywhere else! You never know who you are going to find haunting here. I have the best audience.

      Reply
  7. I de-clutter about once in a blue moon.

    Currently I have my mail covering a lot of my desk including a letter from the house of commons (I’m a bit of an activist) and manuals I haven’t read because it was easier doing the job the hard way!

    (Pause to rip up a mix of items that are cluttering my PC tables (Yes, there are two) and store memories in appropriate drawers…)

    Next the living room table will get cleared – I have a ton of paperwork on it including my stuff from church and my bible which I should really get around to finishing (personally I think the butler did it!).

    You’ve spurred me into action now!!! 🙂

    Love and hugs!

    Prenin.

    Reply
    • Every once in a while I need a kick in the screen to put away some of my work-related messes 🙂
      {HUGZ}
      Red.

      Reply
  8. What I’d like to know is how you can write as much as you do, home school/take care of your children and still run circles around me on the social networks while I do none of those things (including writing recently!). It takes me hours just to wade through all of my notifications in the morning, and by the time I do that, it’s time to check the other email account(s). I at least have consolidated some into one though yahoo refuses to cooperate. I am also trying out some free software that will allow me to look at both my twitter accounts and facebook at the same time. Whew!

    Reply
    • POP mail, 30-45 tabs and dedicated time to write. Some days, I get ahead. Others, I maintain. And every once in a while, I take a day off to clear my head 😉

      Reply
  9. We have a second bedroom that’s used as an office. It has two desktop computers in it, and several shelves, but it’s gotten way too cluttered. One computer isn’t working, and everything is disorganized, which I loathe. I’d love to move the furniture around possibly remove the huge desk that takes up so much space, I’ll have to urge my husband to help. I need a place that is free of clutter where I can spread out with my laptop, notebooks and piles of notes that I take when researching!

    Would you believe that I just wrote a How-To thing for Bounty on this very subject — today no less!

    Reply
  10. I keep my office clean by having a place for everything, which sometimes is the trash. Basically, I have a few folders that are on top of my cabinet in a neat little holder– 1- Current Teaching Prep 2- Things to look at (soon) 3- Things to look at (no rush) 4- Projects

    After a few months, if items in # 3 have not moved to #2 I toss them. The idea is to have nothing on my desk. If I have to move it more than once, I have wasted time.

    Reply

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