I live in the Northeast and "Back to School" season is fast approaching (it has happened already in the southern states). I love this time of year! For me, it feels like Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day all rolled into one. It is not because I relish a quiet, empty house while my sons are at school. I am actually quite sad about that part. However, I do enjoy everything that a busy school year has to offer...including the very early morning wake-ups, making big healthy breakfasts and brown bag lunches, and a bulletin board filled with notices, announcements and new syllabuses. What I really look forward to, however, is taking advantage of the back-to-school supplies sales opportunities and abundant inventory. It brings me joy to see notebooks and folders for less than a quarter and featured in every color of the rainbow. I love post-it-notes and sharpies and highlighters and have a use for all of them. It’s a contest each year to see who stocks up on more of the deals....my sons or their stationery supplies-loving Mom!
When was the last time you treated yourself to a beautiful new planner, a Wall Calendar with extra big boxes, or some fancy pens? If it’s been awhile, then you deserve an afternoon of "retail therapy" at a place like Staples or Office Max and now is the perfect time to do it!
I am not suggesting that you go crazy and color code your life like mine....red for action items, blue for pending, green for To Do lists, and so on. What I am suggesting is this....that a few new supplies could be just what you need to be able to look at your life with a fresh set of eyes, increase your productivity and start a creative fire inside you.
Perhaps you prefer a clean desktop with vertical files like me? Or are you a fan of the horizontal filing system like my husband? Maybe you do what my Dad did when he was an Executive....hide your in-box in your top desk drawer so only you can see it.Whatever system works for you, now is a great opportunity to slightly tweak it and add some improvements.
What do you think your week would feel like if you used a grid to map out your activities and appointments? Would it help you to see where the time-gaps are so you can pencil in a workout (or two or three) or an afternoon massage or evening run? If you knew in advance which days were going to be your busiest, would those be the days that you pack healthy snacks to-go or a few extra water bottles?
Recently, my husband gave me an incredibly generous and thoughtful gift. He gave me the room in our home which was his home office, including his desk...the one he has loved and used for over twenty years. You see, the desk I have been using forever is a student-sized one....extremely small with very narrow drawers and hardly a work surface to speak of. It was small enough to be tucked away in our bedroom closet. I have affectionately called this area my “Cloffice” because it has served as both my closet and my office.
One recent weekend, I was locked in the Cloffice trying to edit videos, write a blog, prepare my Qi Gong routines for the week, creating a PowerPoint presentation, and doing research for my health coaching clients. All of this was happening mere inches away from my clothing, shoes, handbags, scarves, jewelry and yoga mats. There was a lot going on in that very small space and I was feeling frustrated and cramped! About an hour later, my husband asked me to come downstairs for a surprise. He had somehow, in that very short period of time, cleared off the top and drawers of his beautiful, cherry wood, executive desk. When he said “Welcome to your new office!”, it felt like my birthday, Christmas and our anniversary all wrapped into one! In about the amount of time it took him to move out, I moved in! What a great feeling it was to finally have drawers for my files, space for both my laptop and a surface area to write on, a place for my vertical hanging files, and enough room left over to hold the precious plant my son gave me, the lovely journal my sweet friend Corrine had given me, and the beautiful hand-painted Biltmore “Vanderbilt Service” tea pot and matching tea cup that my dear friend Theresa gave me.Virginia Woolf was right all those many years ago....every woman needs a “room of her own”!
Do you have a space that sparks your creativity and encourages your passion?Perhaps it is a Cloffice, a desk in your kitchen, or a writing table in your living room. Maybe it's a side-table next to your favorite chair that holds your journal and your favorite book. Wherever it is that you do your best work (writing, reading, creating, dreaming), is it set up the way you want it? Have you surrounded yourself with items that spark your joy? When I am spending time in my new office space, I am inspired to work my hardest and do my best work. I am able to easily access my files, notebooks, supplies and two computers. I am filled with gratitude every day for my husband’s generous and thoughtful gift to me of his sacred space and desk.
Make some time this week to carve out a sacred space of your own. Treat yourself to some products and supplies that will spark your passion and joy. Whether it is new file folders, a rainbow of different colored pens, pretty notebooks for you to fill up, or some desktop decorations that speak to you....create a place that will mean something to you, encourage you, and be a soft place to land when you need it. When you are settled into your newly ramped-up space, you will hopefully agree with me that this is definitely the most wonderful time of the year!