I have been an entrepreneur for 15 years and have had an array of offices, meaning I have worked from home, in a bedroom office, in detached spaces, and have even had offices at shared workspaces. To be honest, I am getting ready to change up my workspace at home, and I wanted to capture these images of my home office before it changes. You can stay tuned to see what this room becomes! With all of that in mind, I wanted to share five things that can make you more productive in an office space, no matter where you work!
Before I dive into that, I also have so much content coming your way! Sharing my “complete” Lake Home, the “complete” Farmhouse, and even the START Warehouse (and evolution). I say “complete” because, truly, are these projects ever fully done? For me, the answer is no. Technically, it is done, and this is typically the time I would get it on the market to sell, but with a lot of circumstances, one being the interest rates, I plan to buckle down in the meantime. I think what I am meant to do right now is to settle down, so that’s what I’m planning on doing. I have always had projects or some type of construction going on in my life, and I also believe I am meant to push that grind towards other projects right now with The Hummingbird Homes.
Here is the office right off the main living area!
So, here are 5 things that make an office more productive in my opinion. Again, these things can all be in any office space, even if it is a desk in the corner of a room!
Desk Setup
I have two standing desks, one being in my office at the farmhouse and the other at my home office. I realized I work a good bit from home, actually for the entire summer since my kids are primarily at home, so I changed it so that the space was outfitted with a desk that works best for me. Since sitting all day is not great for you, I use an uplift desk with a custom wood top for both of them. You can find how I did it and all the details about the adjustable desks here: Uplift Desk How-To. Beyond the desk, I invested in a laptop stand and an Apple monitor to have dual monitors. These help with my posture since I don’t like to look down at my screen all day and also helps with my productivity. In conjunction with that, I use an ergonomics keyboard and mouse. This does take a little getting used to, but it’s so worth it. Again, I can’t stress enough of how your body and health can be impacted by your posture, so I highly suggest doing what you can to make yourself the most comfortable (and taking breaks) when working for extended periods of time.
Here’s a close-up of my office set-up with my computer stand, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and all the other little details!
Organizational Accessories
It is just a fact that when things inspire you and it helps you be organized, you will get more done. Similarly to if you are starting a new gym routine, a pair of new gym shoes and an outfit can help you get motivated. This is one of the reasons why we focus so much on what we put into our planners, but really, what I am talking about here are the accessories. I love a good spiral notebook for brainstorming sessions. I got these from Amazon that are neutral and a great price. Having the right pen (.5 only) and perfectly sharpened pencils is a necessity for me. Yes, that apple you see on my desk is an old-school pencil sharpener. These subtle highlighters are perfect for both my notes and my planners too!
Here’s a look at my office accessories that help with organization!
Planners & Organizational Tools
Duh, ya knew I was going to say this… as I even mentioned it above. Digital organizational tools are so important. I use Apple Notes, Google Drive, and Dropbox to organize for my home and businesses, but I can’t stress the importance of pen and paper enough. Planner-wise, I use the dated weekly spiral STARTplanner for my home life and overall planning! The quarterly STARTplanner is used for my daily marching orders and business content planning. If you didn’t already know, the 2025 STARTplanners are now on preorder.
Here are a couple of my favorite paper systems: the Take Note, STARTplanners, and the Start Business System!
Filing System(s)
I have a cabinet which is home to all of my files, organized by each company plus important personal and home documents. During the year-end, I will audit, clean up, and have these files up and out. I say filing system(s) because I have a physical system, but I also have a digital one. Both are good to have depending on what type of document you are saving, how long you need them for, and what realistically works for you!
Here’s my physical filing cabinet and I even keep a little organizer on top for the documents I’m currently working on!
Inspiring Space
It doesn’t matter if this is an office or a desk in the corner of your room, but taking time to organize your area and choose items that inspire you is a must. This can be plants (I might just love those and have a few, lol), an essential oil diffuser, speakers for music, crystals, pictures, or art—anything that will help raise your vibration or allow you to be inspired.
Here’s my office (and an abundance of plants) from a different angle!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this! I hope it helps show you a few ways you can increase your productivity around your office and inspire you to be intentional with your space. For those of you wondering, I will still have a desk at home, but again, stay tuned to see what this space becomes! More posts to come now that I am finally sharing my home renovations that are “DONE.”
And here is this room when I first got the home!
