Surely, these are hard times. No one can argue that. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get out of the pandemic better than when you started. It’s certainly doable. A quick look at Howard Schultz, who started so poor he was living in a government-subsidized housing, should give you a shot in the arm. The Starbucks founder said all he wanted was to “build the kind of company that my father never got a chance to work for,” CNBC reported.
Then again, if you want to tap the entrepreneur in you, you will have to start small. And that means, making sure you get your home office working for you in these highly-restricted times. Hakuna matata. That Swahili saying immortalized in the Lion King movie should ring words of assurance for you.
Given a few tweaks, you should be able to boost your office productivity to get you closer to success despite the pandemic.
1. Function over form
A little math should tell you function precedes form. The argument of form over function can be a disastrous formula when you’re shopping as what attracts your eye can be added to the cart even when not necessary. It’s why planning with a purpose should be the top of your mind.
For one, as your office space is meant for working, taking the smart TV or the PlayStation out of the picture is a good idea. When you minimize distractions, you optimize results.
But a small home office need not look small. You can paint the walls white to expand the look of the space. And use space-saving wall shelves to store your office stuff.
2. Lighting matters
If you’re wondering if lighting will have an effect on your overall productivity, it’s high time you get a straight answer. It’s true. Abraham Lincoln, the great American president, in his thirst for knowledge, studied his books using candlelight when he was young. But electricity was a luxury then.
However, in this competitive world, using candles to save you some could stop your business dead on its tracks. For not only does lighting matters, it’s a primary factor in determining your office productivity.
This is especially true in the age of computers. Too much blue light can get you untimely eye strains and eye issues. In effect, lighting problems can sabotage your home office work quality not to mention affect your health and wellness negatively.
As much as possible, make the most of natural light. When it comes to productivity, people working using natural light were shown to be more creative than those using artificial lighting.
Then again, gun for LED bulbs when you have to. Fluorescent bulbs will cause you myriad problems, among them flickering and buzzing over time. LED lamps have better energy-efficiency.
If you’re not so sure about which bulb is best, ask the specialists at a local store that sells lighting products. You should be able to get your day’s worth of information without a hitch.
3. Pomodoro your way to success
A lot has been said about Pomodoro. An army of practitioners has seen the technique work wonders, but some people have made it their life mission to prove the technique wrong. But to no avail.
If you want to up your office productivity, you need to explore Pomodoro. Why? It’s for the simple reason that it works.
First up, you get to manage distractions in your home office. One of the worst things that could happen to you while we’re in a pandemic is spend all your time on pleasurable things. Indeed, watching Netflix may be a good way to bring in the good vibes for you. But if you do it the whole day, what a waste it would be.
Another key advantage of Pomodoro is your health. Practicing the technique means you will be able to take care of your spinal column better. Often times, too much sitting can get your spine to contort in a risky way. Observing breaks religiously can give your body a timely way to recuperate.
And you do away with mental fatigue when you practice the Pomodoro technique.
Certainly, great things await you when you up your office productivity. You can enjoy the better things in life when you’ve cornered your fair share of your hard-earned dollars. But before you do, you need put order to the chaos, just like the great spell-caster Yennefer did on Netflix’s Witcher movie.
When the pandemic ends, you may not become a billionaire like Starbuck’s Howard Schultz. But with a great home office, you’d be in a better position to succeed than when you started.
