Monday Monologue

Optimized Workspace

For those of us who spend our days fulfilling tasks with various degrees of tediosity* and difficulty, it can be difficult at times to stay productive. One of the most important and most overlooked aspects of productivity is developing an optimized workspace.

What is an optimized workspace? This is a fancy term (invented by myself) to describe an environment where you can comfortably accomplish tasks. This could be your desk in your office, the garage where you fix stuff or the chair in which you read. The problem is that these workspaces are too often in a state that actually hinders productivity.

The number one obstacle to an optimized workspace is clutter. This should be pretty obvious; it's hard to concentrate when you're up to your armpits in garbage. Make a consistent appointment to clean up your workspace. For example, make sure that every Friday you clean up your desk, sharpen your pencils, sweep the floor, do the laundry, etc. While periodically cleaning can be tedious, it pays off dividends when an emergency arises and you don't have time to worry about all the post-its you've had on your wall for weeks.

It's also important to consider more subtle factors in your workspace. Is there proper lighting? Is your chair comfortable? Do you find yourself searching for things at a critical time? Do you spend more time figuring out what you're supposed to be doing instead of doing it?

Unfortunately, we can't control every aspect of our environments. If our neighbor decides to blast their music while we're trying to study, there's not much we can do about that. An annoying co-worker has to be worked with, not removed. If you decide that you'd rather have a carpet instead of a hardwood floor, that might have to wait for a while.

But it can be surprising how much a little change can improve our performance. Here are the most common ways that I optimize my workspace:

Clean up the desk

If you find yourself staring at stacks of paper on your desk that have been there so long you can't remember what they're meant for, it's time to put those in a filing cabinet, or better yet, the garbage. Cans of soda, inkless pens, and random knickknacks can find a home in the garbage as well.

Clean up the desktop

Does the desktop on your computer look like a forest of files? Do you find yourself spending a lot of time searching your computer for necessary things? Organize the things you click on according to this principle: Keep the things you use the most the closest.

Open a window

If you find yourself feeling stuffy, let some air in! While the air outside may not be at the most desirable temperature, at least leave the window open for a few minutes to air out the room before turning the air conditioner or heater back on.

Sit (or stand) straight

Remember when your mom told you not to slouch? It sure is hard to focus when your back is killing you. Good posture is the way to have relaxed muscles.

And to illustrate this point, I give you this scene from Men In Black:



* The quality of being tedious