A few years ago, I took a class about bringing clarity from chaos. It was all about decluttering the space around you so you had room in your life for the good stuff.
At that time, I was working with a direct sales company in addition to my full-time job and my office was a disaster area, to put it mildly.
As you can see from the “before” photos – chaos and mess everywhere! While I could find stuff (eventually) the space did nothing to feed my creativity or give me any sense of organization or peace. I knew I had to make some changes.
I took everything out and painted the walls a soothing green (one of my favorite colors) with white trim. Captain Cavedweller installed new lighting and I took an old orange chair we got for free and recovered it with some fabric that “spoke” to me. The only things that came back in were things I actually used. Awards and plaques that cluttered the walls went into a keepsake box. A few sentimental items I couldn’t part with did as well. The rest of the stuff I was no longer going to use went to charity or (depending on the condition) the trash. While the task seemed daunting, once I got started, it really wasn’t all that hard.
The need to declutter and have an office space that sparked my creativity must of worked because a few months after this makeover, I began writing my first book.
I find disorder disrupts my ability to concentrate and think creatively and my office has truly become a little haven for me that I fiercely guard against clutter or chaos.
The point of my rambling today is that it’s a new year with a clean slate. If your office space (or any space in your home where you spend a lot of time) doesn’t feed your soul or inspire your creativity, it’s a good time to make some changes.
You can do it!
