5 Steps to a Productive Home Workspace

Over the last few weeks, we have been laying the foundation for a truly productive year! We started by taking care of ourselves and the stresses related to covid including all the extra roles we were continuing to play in addition to entrepreneur including but not limited to chef, teacher, pa, housekeeper and counsellor. We then reframed our resolutions to make them stick, set goals and intentions are now ready to take action!

The next step in getting truly productive is taking a look at your work environment. Is your workspace and the distraction it represents sucking away at your time as you hunt for what you need but can’t find it amongst the piles?

Are you trying to get all your work done from the comfort of your bed?

Do you feel unproductive when you sit down at your desk because you feel overwhelmed by all the clutter?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will love the 5 Key Steps for Creating a Productive Workspace that I have put together for you. Not only will these steps maximise your productivity, but they will also reduce stress, improve motivation and get you more TIME! Let’s dive in.

Step 1

Carve out an area to do work

Set aside a spot in your home as your work area, choosing a place that will help you focus and avoid distractions. It might be a spare room or even your kitchen table, but the important thing is to work from a desk rather than from bed or your couch.

Why is this important?

Having a dedicated space means you can shut the door at the end of the day or clear away your things from the kitchen table. Doing this helps create boundaries and a physical sense that your work is separate from your home life. Another way to do this, is to avoid going into certain areas of the home, or sitting in certain chairs during working hours, so that you know when you're in "work mode," and when you're not.

Another important consideration is to make your work area a place where you'll enjoy spending time. Check that you can sit comfortably, because otherwise, you'll probably find plenty of excuses to get up and go somewhere else! A high-quality office chair is one of the best investments you can make.

The other important piece of equipment is a door that you can close! It's almost impossible to work effectively at home if there are other people nearby. So, if you have the available space, be assertive and shut out potential distractions.  At the very least, arrange your work area so that distractions aren’t in your line of view – including any partner who’s also working from home or kids that are on-line schooling.

Step 2

Establish Zones of Functionality

Ask yourself, "What do I want from my workspace, and is it meeting my needs?" After deciding how you want and need to use your space, set up zones for your daily functions. For example, you may need a workspace for your computer, a library area for your research, a storage area for supplies, a recording area for videos or podcasts and a filing area for your paperwork. Instead of having everything together in a jumble, these zones will provide a foundation for a more efficient use of space.

To help define your zones, here are some elements that you may consider separating into the different areas:

• Files 
• Supplies/Stationary
• Personal things
• Seating
• Storage
• Emergency items
• Mail and packages
• Printer/scanner
• Computer/laptop
• Video/recording equipment

By establishing different areas for your needs, you become super-efficient and save so much TIME!

Step 3

Find a workflow that works for you

After establishing your most important zones, the next step is to map it all out. You do this by designing a workflow for your workspace made up of these zones. When I say workflow, I mean how all the zones work together in terms of your regular usage. Some things to keep in mind when mapping it all out:

• Keep in mind what activities you do and what items you use the most frequently. These things should be closest to you.
• Also consider what is used rarely, maybe these items don’t need to be in your work area at all. For example, files and documents that are used for reference can be kept in another part of the room hidden away, or in another room altogether. 
• Try to separate computer work and non-computer work. The computer zone would be your traditional desktop or laptop where you spend most of your time, knocking stuff out and getting things done. The non-computer zone could be on the same desk, but simply another area that is cleared of monitors, cords, and chargers. This would be where you would go when you thumb through documents, use your phone, create content, sign papers, open mail, or record videos - whatever it is that doesn't require a hands-on-the-keyboard approach to work. 

Step 4

Eliminate clutter

No more avoiding it - it’s time to deal with the clutter! Clutter exists because our brain tricks us into thinking everything is important. As you go through your stuff, ask yourself, does this item have a purpose? Is it redundant or outdated? Are you keeping it because you need it, or because you might need it? Did you even remember it was there? From the answers to these questions, you should have a good idea of what to do with it - even if you don't like the answer.

A good way to begin is by defining the problem areas. You need to figure out where the problems in your workspace are most significant. Here are some areas to investigate:

• Papers lying around all over the place
• Sticky notes everywhere 
• Freebies from networking events and seminars
• Business cards
• Office supplies
• Unopened mail and packages 

Then you can start sorting! Define different types of clutter and sort into: 

• Stuff to digitise – business cards, handwritten notes, documents 
• Stuff to file - put them to the side and file them!!
• Stuff to do - a work to do pile, and life to do pile 
• Stuff to throw away – receipts, food, post it notes 
• Unfinished projects – file these away

Step 5

Personalise

Once you have established your zones and workflow, and you have cleared away the clutter, it's time to think about how you will set it all out. How will you store things? Display things? Organise things?

Functionality is your priority, but you can also have fun here. Bright colours and textures make a difference in your mood and ability to feel like you can express yourself. Ideally, only essentials like two or three pens, a notebook and your laptop deserve coveted desk space, so make it possible to put everything else away!

This is now your opportunity to add a bit more you. Just not too much! 

• Consider options like buying yourself a small bouquet or a plant. Having something alive is great for inspiration. Just remember to always throw out dead flowers.
• You can also get an inspirational plaque or painting to put on your wall to bring some cheer and motivation into your space. 
• I personally love photos and find that looking at loved ones always reinvigorates my gratitude which fuels my productivity!

After taking these 5 steps you ought to feel revitalised and super motivated to get to work!  If any of these suggestions resonate with you or if you try them out, I would love to hear about it in the comments.

Now that you are all motivated, and ready to get busy, I have an amazing free resource for you to help you figure out exactly what you should be focusing your energies on called 

6 Easy Steps for Female Entrepreneurs to Get More Done in Less Time

If you are trying to take your business to the next level, but don't know where to start, then you can use my step-by-step process to identify the crucial activities you MUST focus on right now to get bigger results in your business (in less time).

You just follow the steps to get more big wins while spending less time and energy to make them happen. Just click the link above and get your free copy today!

Committed to your success,

Marina x