You are here – and that’s perfect
You are here.
Although you’ll rarely catch me at the mall, I’m a fan of those big kiosks that harbor a colorful, glowing diagram of the entire place.
No matter how lost, there’s a friendly star that tells me where I am.
Knowing where you are helps orient you. It helps you find direction to move forward confidently. It helps you appreciate where you’ve come from.
A map for an inspiring home office
Just for you, I made a map that shows how to create a workspace that nourishes you. It has seven basic steps. (You’ll just have to imagine the glowing colors.)
- Feeling deeply stuck and unsatisfied.
- Creating an idea of the workspace you really want.
- Taking stock of how things are today.
- Clearing out the things that no longer serve you or your business.
- Finding intuitive places for the things you want to keep and use.
- Enjoying a fairly functional, soul-nourishing workspace.
- Creating fun, intuitive systems for projects and business tasks.
Where are you?
If you’re working on several of these steps at once, that’s totally normal. You may also find that you repeat some steps again and again. No judgment about it, that’s just how it works. It’s a process.
What step(s) are you on today – and how do you feel about it?
(Reminder: Comments before August 24, 2009 enter you to win some fun stuff from Inspired Home Office. Please feel free to participate!)
Organized under Creating order, Making peace with piles. Labeled as focus, home office, Inspired Home Office, organize, reality, vision, workspace.
204 days ago,
Sarah Tieck said:
Jennifer,
How wonderful that you have a blog!
Your delineation of the steps is very interesting. My sense is that I’ve been moving pretty intuitively between 2, 3, and 4. I’m spending most of my time clearing out old stuff — there’s a lot of it!
One area I’m finding that I’m not sure how to proceed has to do with the writer’s notebooks I’ve accumulated over the years. There’s boxes of them! And, the ideas and material I say that I’m keeping them for is really not that accessible or useful when in a box … but how to put it into a useable form?
That’s my latest question I’m visioning. Seems like things start to emerge as I dig into them. There’s even a quote about that that I’ve been liking:
“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.” –Carl Jung
Welcome to the blogosphere!
Best, Sarah
204 days ago,
JoVE said:
Thanks to earlier help from your Wish Kit and a consultation, I think I’m on the “enjoying a reasonably functional workspace”. There are things that still could be done. And I certainly don’t have fun and creative systems. But I am a long way from the first step on your list.
204 days ago,
Chris Beck said:
I’ve basically gone through this 7-step process but I find that I have to go back to step 3 periodically and work through the subsequent steps to keep my studio current. Sometimes it’s a big project and other times just a little tweaking is enough — depends on how much I’ve been experimenting with new materials and techniques and whether they’ve worked out for me.
204 days ago,
Wendy Cholbi said:
Oh, what a lovely list (map). The great thing about it is that you’ve given me permission to be where I am. You aren’t saying “well, if you’re on Step 1, that means you need to do some work because you SHOULD (ugh) be moving to step 2 pretty soon.” Which would leave me in a quivering heap of worry and negative self-talk.
Right now, I’m doing a lot of work on Step 4, but I am also spending quite a bit of time moving between Steps 1, 2 and 3. And it’s really helpful to see that movement as organic and natural, instead of regression and failure. And that I could be on Step 4 with regard to, say, my computer files while still feeling really Step 1-ish about my office chair.
I am here! And that’s perfect! And it’s perfect that you’re here in my feed reader now — you’ll always have an honored place here!
204 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Sarah – I think the Jung quote is the perfect response to your question. (I love it when you answer your own questions.) The key is reflection: close your eyes and listen to what your heart wants for those journals.
@JoVE – I’m am so incredibly happy to know that you’re a long way from step one. I’m honored to have had a hand in it. Fun and creative systems are just around the corner, too. You got the ball rolling just by noticing the fact.
@Chris – You are clearly very aware of your environment. Your description reminds me of how snakes shed their skin when it’s time to grow.
@Wendy – You ARE here! You ARE perfect! I love how you noticed the dance you’re doing with your space… naturally and organically.
You can be in many places at once with different areas. Not long ago, I was a 1 with my chair (hate wasn’t strong enough a word), but the rest of my office was in the 6-7 realm. That’s a great point.
204 days ago,
Sharry Teague said:
thanks for more info through your blog. I am deep into clearing out and finding places for. Not just in my office, but all over the house!!! It feels great. I like the list as a reminder that I cycle through all of it.
203 days ago,
Christine Martell said:
I’ve been stuck on step 7, there isn’t much fun or intuitive about my systems yet. Now I’m wondering if it might help to move back to step 4 and look at these places differently. Since really, when they are stuck, no matter how much potential they have to be something else, they become useless to the business. Hmm.
203 days ago,
christy said:
Hey Jennifer! Glad you finally have the blog up and running! Congratulations, you did it!!
I still tell everyone who struggles with workspace that you healed me and made all the difference in the world!
203 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Sharry – I love how peaceful you sound as you describe your process. “Cycle” is a fantastic word – it feels true to the process of creating and recreating your workspace.
@Christine – Yup. Functioning systems support your business. Placeholders hold it back. Step 4 might be a perfect place to go.. or even Step 2 and identify what kind of systems would really support you (hint: do one at a time).
Incidentally, I’m planning an intuitive systems class for spring (eee!). I can’t wait!
@Christy – How incredibly cool. Your words mean so much to me. (happy sigh)
203 days ago,
Helen Ross-Hamilton said:
I’m at step 1. But I see it as a step in the right direction. I think I’ve been at “Step 0″ (unsupported and irritated by my workspace, but only vaguely aware of it) for ages.
The interesting thing is that it is fairly functional, just not particularly soul-nourishing!
203 days ago,
Kathy Mallary | The Signature System Coach said:
By golly, looks like you’ve got a signature system going on there, sister.
Rock on!
203 days ago,
Romilly said:
I’m at step one through three. all at the same time. Last week the shelves fell on my head, literally. I think the Universe is telling me that it’s time to start moving into clearing out and building a space that works for me.
And I think it needs to be done before much else gets done on the business. Then I’m back to Stuck.
203 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Helen – Isn’t it amazing how obvious the soul-nourishing is once you know you don’t have it? Whew! I have a great freebie (Fun in Functional) that talks about this very thing (it comes with my newsletter if you want it). How nourished you feel has a direct correlation with how *creative* you feel.
@Kathy – By golly, you’re right! How cool is that?!
@Romilly – Welcome! Stuck might be where you end up. I have a funny feeling if you did some of the things you’re thinking about (no pressure – just hypothesizing), you’d actually have more clarity than stuck.
202 days ago,
Chris (@isekhmet) said:
Congrats on the blog!
I look forward to reading it.
I am in the process of imagining the workspace I really want. Parts of my office are just as I want them, others parts are extremely frustrating.
My desk itself was driving me batty, so I remembered your advice from your free download – I practiced thinking and it turns out my go to thinking direction was filled with reminders of annoying tasks.
So I cleared everything that I don’t love off my desk, and now I have a peaceful work surface. I am working on a system to keep the annoying tasks close at hand but out of sight.
Thanks for the help!
202 days ago,
Beth said:
Wow, I really like this. I’m wandering in between steps 2-4, with an occasional lurch into 5. And there are moments, or particular pieces, of my workspace that are in step 6, but they are the minority.
I don’t think I have even ventured into the step 7 territory yet, but I am eyeing it wistfully. I know I want to go there—its mist-shrouded hills are beckoning me.
It’s unbelievably helpful to have this map. Thank you.
201 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Chris – It sometimes seems to me that starting with reclaiming the desk as sacred space provides the most immediate relief and peace. Keep imagining – it will serve you well.
@Beth – You are so welcome – wistful glances and all.
199 days ago,
Sally Evans said:
I’m in the trying to clear out the things that I no longer need stage in addition to the I’ve got TOO many notebooks and books stage!
It’s hard for me to give up the information that I might need someday and yet I recognize the fact that I when it gets too cluttered, it feels more overwhelming than helpful.