1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office, 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: new world of work, where location and hours are more 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to aim 5 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: for a self contained workspace, an area that provides everything 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: you need to do your job and that well contains 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: your work stuff so that it's not spilling into other 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: parts of your home. One of the obvious and huge 9 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: upsides of working from home is that you don't have 10 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: to commute. You're not traveling to and from your office 11 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: with such a huge efficiency gain. Sometimes we don't think 12 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 1: about maximizing efficiency with our home offices themselves, but it 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: is kind of nice not to have to commute and 14 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: I'm putting that in quotes around your house to do 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: various work tasks. Ideally, you can arrange your home workspace 16 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: such that you don't have to run around. If you 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: have a printer, for instance, it's most efficient to place 18 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: it near the desk or table where you work, unless 19 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: family members who use the printer more need it elsewhere. 20 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: Think about supplying your workspace with other tools you need too. 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: When you find yourself leaving your workspace to retrieve something Kleenex, advil, 22 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: a highlighter, snacks, a sweater, just bring an extra of 23 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 1: that item back to your workspace and store it there. 24 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: This saves you time on future occasions. It means you 25 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: don't have to break your concentration too, say, blow your nose. Plus, 26 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: minimizing the need to leave your workspace reduces the likelihood 27 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: that you'll get waylaid by someone in your household or 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: distracted by a household task. You can increase your time 29 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: spent on task when your workspace contains everything you need, 30 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: which brings me to the second part of this tip, 31 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: not just having what you need, but actually keeping your 32 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: workspace contain. If you're lucky enough to have a dedicated 33 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: home office, you already have a contained workspace. When you 34 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: stop working at the end of the day, you can 35 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: shut the door, and that's great. But a lot of 36 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: people are making do these days, creating workspaces wherever they can. 37 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: I'm fascinated by the images on Instagram and Pinterest of 38 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: closet workspaces, amazingly functional and often attractive work areas that 39 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: fit within smallish closets. I think this is brilliant. Inside 40 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: the closet you have a work surface of some sort, 41 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: maybe some shelves or drawers. Some of these closet workspaces 42 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: even have a lamp or potted plant or art. While 43 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: you're working, you sit facing the closet with everything you 44 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: need at arms reach. When you're done for the day, 45 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: you place the chair in a corner, shut the doors 46 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: to the closet, and see no evidence of your workspace 47 00:02:54,120 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: at all. No mess, no disorder, no nagging to dooosdroom 48 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: is your bedroom again or your living room your living room? 49 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: The office is closed for the day and invisible because 50 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: it's totally contained. As you go through your workday today, 51 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: identify any supplies you need to be more self contained 52 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: in your workspace, and at the end of the day, 53 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: consider how you can contain your work. Maybe your workspace 54 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: will be the next marvel I see on Instagram, or 55 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: you'll just boost your productivity while adding calm to your 56 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: home environment after hours, which would be pretty marvelous too. 57 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: What are your workspace hacks? How do you keep your 58 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: work area well stocked and well hidden? You can let 59 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: me know at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In 60 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 61 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: to succeeding in the New Corner Office. The New Corner 62 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: Office is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, visit 63 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 64 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: favorite shows.