It doesn’t matter how good you are at your job if you don’t get the work done. Whether you are at an office or working from home, the way you set up your workspace is critical to increasing your productivity. When you take some time to make a space designed for getting things done, you will find it’s much easier to complete tasks and meet your goals.

Remove Distractions from View

With all of the input coming from your electronic devices, it’s common to get distracted from the task at hand. In many careers, you need easy access to those devices for communication or research. However, if it’s possible, put your phone or tablet in a drawer where it will be out of view. Some people will use a timer to encourage them to keep electronics stowed away for a predetermined period. You may also want to disable push notifications from apps that are not related to your work. This will keep you from getting lost in social media or gaming when you should be focused on your current project.

Plants and Personal Items

Stress is part of everyone’s life. It’s not unusual for people to use stress as a way to procrastinate. When a deadline is looming, they decide that they have to step away from the job. Green plants and personal items like family photos or a favourite piece of art can help you create a calmer atmosphere for your work. When you have a stressful moment, rather than losing time by taking a long break, you can take a deep breath and focus on one of your calming images. Once you have relaxed a little, you can dive back into the job and deal head-on with deadlines or difficult challenges.

Find the Right Soundtrack

Music in your workspace is a matter of personal preference. You need to find the right soundtrack that keeps you energised while letting you focus. For some people, the classic rock songs of their youth are just the thing to keep them motivated. Other people prefer instrumental music like classical sonatas or soft jazz. You may even find that the best soundtrack for focused attention is no soundtrack at all. Whatever your preference, be sure to set it up in a respectful way that will not distract your coworkers. You also want to be able to mute any music quickly so you can maintain a professional atmosphere when you are communicating with clients.

Get Yourself Organised

No matter how you do it, you need to get your workspace well-organised. The definition of good organisation may vary from person to person. One individual may think that everything is in order when the desktop is completely clear. For another person, an effective organisation system means having the ingredients of a project spread out over the whole surface area. The important thing is that you are able to find the information or materials you need when you need them. A great deal of time will be lost if you are searching for items that should be right at hand.

Prepare for Tomorrow

At the end of the day, take some time to get your workspace ready for tomorrow. This can be an opportunity to review what you have done today and set a goal list for the next workday. In terms of organisation, this is a time to clean up from your current projects and prepare for the next. Put away items that will not be relevant in the morning and take out the materials that you think you will need. The first few hours of work are often the most productive. Spending a few minutes in preparation today means you can hit the ground running tomorrow.