When I’m in my office, I want to feel on top of things.
I imagine it like I’m rowing across a sparkling blue ocean on a beautiful clear day. There’s a lot happening underneath the surface, but on top, it’s clear, spacious and beautiful, as the boat moves steadily forward.
…Unfortunately, what I often feel is: overwhelmed, squashed in and crowded, like I’m drowning under piles of papers and suffocating amidst the pressure of unfinished tasks.
When it gets this bad, you’ll often find me taking the laptop to the kitchen or the dining room table, to avoid the office altogether!
So, what do you do when your space feels so bad that you’d rather run away than clean it up?
Well, what I did today, in total exasperation, was I finally reached out for some expert help.
Of course, the best experts don’t tell you what to do. They help you find your own answers. And that’s exactly what my expert advisor did (bless her heart!)
And here is what I realized:
I often feel criticized…
…and judged by others about the state of my office. It’s probably my own internal judgment that attracts this criticism. It’s time for me to start loving and accepting my office as it is, no matter what others think. And if I start doing that, they’ll probably catch on soon too.
A quick look around my office…
…without the inner critic clouding my thoughts… made it really clear what needs to change.
One of the first things I saw was that my in-tray (which is a double decker and usually overflowing) is stacked on the desk in such a way that when I sit in my chair, it’s almost as high as my head. No wonder I feel overwhelmed!
Meanwhile, the living, breathing plant which we put in here for its great air filtering properties (we were inspired by Kamal Meattle’s amazing green office building) is sitting on the floor, where I can hardly see it.
As a first step…
….I put the plant on a stool.
As a second step, I’ve decided to get a literal in-box… With a lid on it!
I’ve always avoided doing that because I’ve been afraid that if I can’t see my to-do pile, I will ignore it. But I now realize how ridiculous this is. When I see my intray overflowing, I ignore it anyway. And I feel overwhelmed, to boot.
The truth is, I will open my inbox and deal with the things that need dealing with. It’s even crossed my mind that I could decorate the lid and call it my ‘sacred inbox’… as a reminder and a reflection of how close to my heart my work really is. (Well, they don’t call me Woo-Woo Girl for nothing 
)
Of course, these two little steps won’t magically make all the clutter disappear, but listening to my heart has got me inspired. And I reckon there’s more where that came from
So, that’s my story. What about you?
Your work is sacred. But does your workspace feel like an ocean to glide across, or a stormy sea that’s about to overcome you?
If it’s the latter, here’s what you might try:
- Start with acceptance. Choose to give the inner and outer critics the flick… Just for a minute. You are doing your best, you always have. Your workspace is a reflection of that. Loving yourself and your office as you are right now is the first step to making the changes that your heart really longs for.
- Listen to your heart. The inspiration that I just shared came from my own realizations about what me and my office needed. If your relationship with your workspace is not what it could be, take time to find out what your heart is telling you about how to move forward.
- Get support. You know, I’ve been fluffing around this office issue for years, and every time I reach out to get the right help from the right person, I move ahead in leaps and bounds. Good support rocks. And if you want practical support that comes with a good dose of love and acceptance, let me introduce you to someone…
Jennifer over at Inspired Home Office has this brilliant Workbook called the Wishkit, and this month she is offering a free seminar for people who’ve bought her Workbook. In other words, if you buy the Wishkit Workbook for $27 (that’s US$, which is about $32 Australian), you also get to do a complimentary three part tele-class with her in September (you just gotta e-mail her and let her know you’re on).
Now the reason I’m telling you about this is not because I get any kind of financial benefit (Jen doesn’t even know I’m writing this post!). But I’m sharing because I have been meaning to do some of Jen’s work for ages. This morning, I finally put aside what I had planned to do to listen to Jen guiding me through the Workbook. It’s packed with little exercises that helped me get in touch with my heart and pretty soon I had a whole new take on my office.
So, of course, I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
So… Questions? Comments?
How does your workspace usually make you feel?
And if / when it does get overwhelming, what do you do about it?
