When you wake up in the morning, you put some thought into choosing the winning outfit for the battles of the day - are you headed to a first face-to-face client meeting? Are you about to pitch a major partnership for a new project? Or are you just in for a regular day of work? Just as much as your splendid choice of wardrobe makes a powerful impact on your performance, so does the layout of your desk.
This little nook is your brainstorming cocoon, a safe haven of innovation and success, and it should be designed with those qualities in mind. It's no wonder a messy or a completely empty desk can destroy your creativity - details do matter in creating the right work environment to inspire growth. So, let's take a look at the top five essentials to drive your professional growth!
Your work, much like your mood, is a fluid, fickle little creature, and tapping into your creativity can sometimes require a little bit of out-of-the-box encouragement. Certain ladies will thrive if they see motivational quotes; others will love their family photos hanging amidst all the work memorabilia, conference tags, relevant certificates and the like.
Add a touch of your self to the board and whenever you need a little pick-me-up from the humdrum days of grunt work or come across a writer's block, just look up, and it will be there - everything you've accomplished and all the amazing memories, filling you with joy and enthusiasm to outdo yourself once again.
No matter how much you might think that your mind blooms in chaos and no matter how much you like to support your claim with the universe's love for entropy, your productivity will only be able to grow in an environment that provides little to no distractions. And the same goes for wasting hours of your time looking for the right invoice form or the latest receipt for your taxes.
Trick your desk's preference for entropy and introduce a filing system such as a simple shelf of color-coded files, where you can place all your contracts and other printed documents. Plus, it's always wise to keep a digital copy of all your important files somewhere on an external hard drive - you'll not only have peace of mind, but you'll also protect many of your nerves from their premature demise.
Planning is the key to a successful career, hence the need to keep one or several trusty diaries on your desk that will always grant you access to your daily schedule, planned milestones for the week and appointments to keep in mind. They can also serve as your idea-keepers, since it's all too easy to get lost in the sea of random papers where you write down your thoughts - having your diary with you will prevent that.
In addition to that, get several pens in multiple colors to mark different projects or various levels of importance and urgency. Although you'll sometimes be tempted to stick to your phone for taking notes, digital gadgets can often fail you if their battery dies, your phone goes nuts and restarts mid-writing, or you run out of memory when you need it most. In that sense, a pen and paper can never be replaced by your phone or your tablet!
While we're on the subject of technology, most of us are addicted to our phones and computers, and we conduct the majority of our work precisely on these lovely contraptions. And as marvelous as they may be, they can cause severe eye-strain, damage your vision and give you headaches when you don't take plenty of breaks throughout your workday.
To that end, you'll need a pair of protective glasses that reduce glare, blue light and the overall strain of your eyes. However, you also need to make sure that you take regular short breaks to rest and reduce screen exposure. Even if you work next to a window that gives you plenty of daylight, consider getting an LED lamp to let you work comfortably during those late night brainstorming sessions without falling asleep at the desk!
No matter how much you're devoted to your work, there's no need to ruin your lovely physique or your immune system with unhealthy munchies and energy drinks. Instead, craft your own snack box with heathy alternatives such as dry and fresh fruit and nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts.
And of course, don't even think about starting your day without a bottle of water at your desk. You need to stay hydrated for your brain to be able to work properly. A cup of coffee during your morning is always a good option, but make sure to get enough H2O in addition to your caffeine buzz, and all will be well!
images' sourceAbout the author:
Sophia Smith is Australian based beauty and style blogger. She is very passionate about latest fashion trends and graphic design projects. Sophia writes mostly in fashion related topics, mainly through blogs and articles. She has contributed to a number of publications including: LA Fashion, Viva Glam Magazine, Just Haves, How to Simplify and Carousel.