Avoiding the Temptations of Home: Work in a Great Home Office
Probably the best home office possible is a dedicated room, with high-quality furniture that’s customized just for you. Centralized heating/cooling will sure you won’t be feel too cold/hot to work properly. There’s even a mini pantry nearby and a cabinet full of office supplies!
Wake up! Since you’re probably beginning your freelancing career, you can’t afford that dream home office. But there’s nothing wrong making the best of what you have. And a great home office is simply working in the right location, on decent furniture, in a clean and comfortable area. Even a simple setup can make working at home an effective experience.
Location. Try to work away from temptations; the first step to avoiding them is to…avoid them. But if you don’t have that much space to work with, try to position yourself so that none of these temptations are easily seen. Resort to putting up temporary dividers if you have to.
Furniture. As long as your chair isn’t a torture device or on the verge of breaking apart, it’ll do. Any decent desk will also work, even if it doesn’t have drawers. Preferably it should be deep, so that when you work, your elbows will have something to rest on. Not to mention is should be the right height. The desk should be high enough that your knees fit underneath it comfortably, but not so high that your elbows end up level to your shoulders.
Cleanliness. This doesn’t only mean keeping your desk and papers free from dust. When you call it a day, try to tidy up everything. Store everything that needs to be stored, align stacks of paper, etc. So that when you sit down to start another workday, you don’t have to waste time fixing up yesterday’s mess.
Comfort. This is the most important aspect of the home office, IMHO. Make sure your home office is in a well-ventilated place, even if you have to sacrifice the above “requirements.” At the very least, make sure your home office will not be too hot or too cold. You’ll be spending hours making your living here, and you’ll want to make work as reasonably comfortable as possible.
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7 opinions for Avoiding the Temptations of Home: Work in a Great Home Office
Denise
Jan 15, 2007 at 4:06 pm
You’re so right. Even modest improvements can make a big difference. I decided my Christmas present this season would be a few things for my home office, since I couldn’t justify the expense otherwise. Yesterday my husband put together the IKEA bookcase we got a great deal on. It let me get stacks of books and supplies off the floor and out of nooks and crannies. I also decorated a bit with some very inexpensive finds from local hobby and craft stores. What a huge impact it made - not only in my office’s appearance - but in my attitude walking in this morning!
Rico
Jan 16, 2007 at 9:24 am
Hi Denise, glad to see you’ve successfully improved your home office.
I think you feel great also because you’ve accomplished your plans. Isn’t that also a wonderful feeling, that you’re efforts have actually achieved something? :)
Glen Stansberry
Jan 17, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Working at home sure has it’s distractions. I’ve found that the most pleasant environment makes the work go that much faster.
Rico
Jan 19, 2007 at 11:14 am
Very true, although what’s considered “pleasant” can be very subjective. I for one find silence productive, while Tris needs music to work. What about you? :)
Contract Worker - Avoiding the Temptations of Home: Using the Great Home Office Effectively
Jan 25, 2007 at 7:08 am
[…] So now you’ve set-up your home office. You’re ready to start getting the job done and avoid the temptations of home! […]
Contract Worker - Avoiding the Temptations of Home: A Series
Jan 25, 2007 at 7:08 am
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Contract Worker - 18 Ways to Stay Focused While Working, Part 1
Mar 14, 2007 at 12:07 pm
[…] Allocate time slots colleagues can interrupt you. Even the relatively deserted environment of the home office won’t save you from interruptions, so it’s important to let others know (especially friends and family) when you’re available during the day. Or you could simply disable all forms of communicating (staying invisible in IM, letting the answering machine handle calls) while you can’t be interrupted. […]
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