Business Start-Up Costs
by Leva Duell, Secretarial-Business-In-A-Box
The environments we surround ourselves with are often overlooked as a potential nurturance for both our work and our daily lives. Our surroundings shape the way we think and feel. Exceptional achievers make sure their surroundings reflect their commitment to perform at their best.
Your office space can reflect your intention to do great work that makes a contribution to the world. It can provide aesthetic nourishment where the colors and textures of the interior space nourish your creativity and inspire you, or it can leave you feeling exhausted and unfocused. We need only to step into different offices to notice how they affect us. Close your eyes and picture this. It is morning, and you are walking into your office to start your work day. You step onto a lovely patterned carpet, and walk over to your beautiful, functional wooden desk. You sit in a very comfortable chair that supports your back, and gaze out the window at the sunny day. A fresh breeze blows in from the open window. You hear the sounds of birds singing and leaves rustling in the wind. A large green plant is in the corner and a vase of fresh flowers is on your desk. A beautiful lamp infuses warmth and soft light throughout the room. Your eyes are drawn to a lovely piece of art on the wall, then to an artifact you bought on your latest trip, and then to an array of family photos. Would this type of space uplift your spirit and inspire you to do your best work? You bet it would! Yet, very few people take the time to create for themselves an office that is truly nourishing and uplifting. If our offices are beautiful and inspiring, then what is produced in those offices will have a sense of purpose and integrity. The challenge is to seek a way to occupy your office space in a way that harmonizes with your personality, energy, and purpose. Look closely at your workspace. What is the message that your office area currently communicates to you and others? What do you see that stimulates your creativity and inspires you to do your best work? If your workspace doesn’t currently nourish your creativity and effectiveness, take a moment to mentally create the perfect space for you to do your best work. Think about changes you could make, even if you’re on a limited budget, to create a more inspiring work environment. Could it be by moving your desk so that the view is more inspiring? Or by adding fresh flowers, a plant, or music? What about adding a water fountain, a wind chime, a poster, or a beautiful piece of art to your workspace? Or, choosing to write with pens in a rainbow of colors? Are your office and desk areas visually stimulating with lots of pictures, photographs, quotes, and memorabilia? Or, you may prefer a clean, uncluttered state for working. Only you know the type of surroundings you will thrive in. Determine what you need in your environment to inspire your best work. Decide how to change your space so you feel more inspired and creative -- and watch your productivity and satisfaction levels soar! © 2006 Jan Marie Dore. All Rights Reserved. This article is written by Jan Marie Dore, Professional Certified Life Coach, Speaker and Writer. She has been a practitioner and, more recently, a teacher of yoga and meditation for more than 20 years. She incorporates the practices of wellness, centering, breath, mindfulness, creative alertness, self reflection, cultivating awareness of the now, and creative "time out" into her coaching and speaking philosophy. She aspires to show others ways to access their deeper selves, find the deeper underlying reality of who they really are, and design their lives from the inside out. For free resources and programs on work-life balance and living your best life, visit Jan’s website at http://www.janmariedore.com.