Most people have enough to-do lists to wallpaper their entire living rooms.  It seems that the busier you get, the more lists you write.  If only crossing things off your list followed suit.  Take the initiative and jumpstart your productivity by giving yourself a functional workspace.  Create a place where you can get work done, a place where to-do lists go to die.  The right kind of room with the right kind of furniture can be everything you need to start working more efficiently.

A big, clear workspace is a necessity.  Maybe you already have a desk, but the danger with desks is that a pile of papers doesn’t look out of place, so no one takes a second glance.  Including you.  Invest in a workspace like a round dining table that has plenty of space for you to spread out and work – but only for a couple of hours.  Dinner time is your deadline for vacating, and you’d better have gotten your work done by then.  Implicit time pressure is important for most people, and it forces you to budget your time and work strategically.

Another necessity is a clearly organised space.  Organisation leads to productivity, so staying organised is the best way to tackle a long to-do list.  Create a neat space with everything in order to make your work sprees go faster.  You can start by surrounding yourself with everything that you need to reference in convenient media units.  They are great alternatives to traditional bookshelves because they’re usually wider and deeper, so they can hold file cabinets and papers in addition to books.  For anyone in university or continuing their education, a media unit is an organized place to keep all of your books and materials.  The right media unit can also be a great design piece for your room and add an element of studious style.  And once you’ve finished everything on your very last list, you can convert the media unit back to holding entertainment equipment and reward yourself with some guilt-free down time.

What kind of atmosphere helps you work best?

Did you know?

Chronic procrastination might actually be a symptom of an underlying psychological disorder.

-Audrey

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