Where do you Work?

Productivity is an issue that I'm sure that the majority of us suffer with, especially if we're just coming out of the university atmosphere where procrastination is kind of like a lifestyle. In the working world the penalty for late work isn't 10% per day with a maximum penalty of 30%. The penalty is losing your job.

The key to being productive is knowing what works for you. Trust me, this is a learning curve that I am still struggling with. I currently work from home and with that can come a lot of bad habits. There have been times when I've found myself throwing the tv on in the background but actually ended up pushing my work to the background. You need to find a space and routine that works for you.

The ideal situation is working at a desk. You can put all of your work in front of you, keep yourself organized and really get into the zone. You should schedule yourself some breaks for sanity's purpose and make sure that distracting things like tvs are kept off. (And if you are wondering, yes that is 50 Shades of Grey on my desk. I was reading it for research on a product giveaway we were doing. Honest!) As you can see my "office" is in my kitchen. That just goes to show that your workspace can be anywhere that works for you!

Now, working from home has it's perks, but it all depends on if you can handle them. I get to work from my bed if I want to! It can be great, but it can also be a bit too comfortable sometimes. The key is to treat this area like you would a holy place. What the heck does that mean? Well, make it your work shrine. You only bring work into your "office" and you give it the respect it deserves. If you work from home and you want to work in your bed then you should but make sure you can handle it. If you think you might end up taking a nap while you're in there then you most definitely should not even climb in.

If you want to be productive, then you need to find what works for you! Routine is your best friend. Schedule a coffee break between your start time and your lunch break to help break things up if you have to. I like to listen to music while I'm working but I know that if I need to concentrate, like when I'm editing, that the music has to be off.

Ultimately, you know what you need to do to be productive. You know what helps you flourish in your work environment. If that means being in a room with white walls and utter silence then that's where you need to be. If that means dressing up your space so that it inspires you, then do it! It's all trial and error but when you find the perfect place for productivity then you'll never have to worry about turning things in late again!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Stay-at-home Associate Editor, Occasional In-Bed Associate Editor