6 Ways to Desk For Success - How to Set Up Your Home Office

In the corporate world you need to Dress for Success. If you work from home in your favorite pair of slippers you will need to Desk for Success. By setting up your home office space properly you can maximize your time and energy to be outrageously successful.

Claim Your Space

Find a place in your home where you can stake out your boundaries and claim it for your business purposes. This can be a room, a desk or even the kitchen table. The important thing is that everybody knows the space is yours and off limits to Barbie and Barnie. Your space should be quiet with little distraction. Setting up next to the TV or the drum set is probably not a good idea.

I actually have two office spaces to maximize my productivity. One where I dump the stuff (AKA everything) and the second where I work. I have a large bay window in my master bedroom that overlooks the park. I can watch the birds and the kids and enjoy the sun while I am on the computer. My large glass table doesn't even have drawers. The actual room that is called the office receives less traffic and more storage of all the office stuff.

Take EVERYTHING Out of Your Office Space

Start with a clean slate. Shuffle everything into the garage or off to goodwill. You are not going to want the accumulation of the years in your way. If you haven't touched it since 1975 you don't need it in your office. Even the singing fish!

Fill Your Office Space with the Minimum to Start

Start with a Desk, Chair and Computer. Now add the very minimum. For instance I don't regularly use s printer so I don't have one at my desk. I don't have a stapler, shredder, hole punch or pen with a fluffy top. These items would just get in my way. Leave all the stuff in the boxes with the dust bunnies.

Don't go to the Office Supply Store

Don't use your home office as an excuse to go shopping. You are doing business to make money not spend it. You can easily spend hundreds of dollars on things you don't need. Worse, excessive things will hinder your focus. You can manage without the dusty trays and pile of pens. Your desk will get cluttered quickly, without you going shopping.

Add Items to your Office Space Only as Needed

If you only use a stapler once a week it doesn't need to be on your desk. Shove it in a drawer, out of your way. I know you love that electric pencil sharpener and find it aesthetically pleasing but it doesn't need to sit on your desk for you to stare at it!

Start with a Clean Slate Everyday

Because my business is internet based I have 4 items on my desk. First, my laptop Computer, this is the power center that drives my business. I don't have a fax, printer, speakers or unnecessary items connected to it. They would just get in the way. I have a day planner to write my daily schedule and goals, a dock for my ipod and a lamp to light the way. Every morning I start with these four items and then the accumulation begins. It is almost the end of the day and I have accumulated the cordless phone, car keys, cell phone, plate from lunch and the phone bill. I could easily leave all this on my desk and start tomorrow with half of a dry sandwich and a reminder of the hour I spent on the phone with AT&T tech support. Remove all the distractions every day and make some money.