Do you constantly get up from your desk to get things you need daily?. Read this to positively answer is everything in your office at arm’s length?
Big versus better
There’s little need to work in a cavernous space unless you have staff working beside you.
Large spaces look glamorous, and they are great if your profession requires various equipment. However, an adequate space, one that allows you to reach everything within reach of your desk, saves lots of time. It may not seem that way, but once you begin a project, you’ll be happy that you don’t have to get up from your chair multiple times to get the items you need.
“Working from the seat of your pants” is a phrase I first heard from Bob Bly, a respected copywriter who spoke at an event I attended years ago. Mr. Bly may not have coined that phrase, but it certainly made sense to me while helping me determine how to set up my office, which is partially seen in the above photograph.
Maximize energy and time
Some of the items in the photo are now gone or in a different space (thank goodness the papers no longer exist). Still, I do not rise from my chair unless I go to lunch or the lavatory, need to stretch, or end my day.
- The computer and keyboard are on the desk.
- The printer is to my right.
- A three-hole punch machine sits back of the printer.
- Grammar resources stay in a shelf above the computer monitor.
- Shipping items and media materials are organized on the right.
- Microphones and headphones sit on shelves beneath the printer.
- Additional printer paper is placed in the cabinet beneath the printer.
Everything is in place so I position my chair in the direction that lets me grab what’s needed.
That’s not usually the case when you work for someone else. You’re glad to get up, walk around, go into the break room, speak with someone in the hallway, or retrieve papers from a shared printer.
Put time on your side
When you’re on payroll, your time is paid. When you work for yourself, time is a premium not to be taken or given lightly. This is why you position items in your office in a way that saves steps. It’s also important to think like a boss as this article recommends.
Big offices look beautiful, and they are. Unless you’re an architect, craftsman, or participate in an industry where space is needed to read blueprints or cut wood, be proud of your just-right space, perfect for your profession.
Review your workspace for efficiency that may not be there now. Then ask yourself: is everything in your office at arm’s length?
