For years I did not have one centralized place to keep my papers, documents, and supplies, and my family, knowing this, would put things — mail, scissors, flyers from activities, insurance papers, and the like — wherever it was convenient for them. Some things were stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet. Other things were left on the table by the door. Some things found there way to my nightstand or were left on the kitchen table or even the floor. Guess who was the one running around always collecting things or wondering where things went?
Eventually one of my husband’s frequent refrains finally gave me a clue. Often I’d have to ask him for a health insurance document or something pertaining to our finances, and he’d tell me he had it, but it was “in my office at work.” Although his office was for his work, he had his own personal space where he was able to organize his things; I, on the other hand, had an entire house shared with four other people. The children had their own rooms; even when they shared rooms, they had their own personal desks and work areas. We had a room we called the office, but it was where we homeschooled, did craft and science projects, and equally shared every bookshelf, table, and pen. The calendar was the family calendar to be shared (and moved) by all. I never thought to claim a space that would be sacred to mom…I thought it was silly and even self-righteous. When you work in an office environment, however, no one thinks it is snobbish to have a cubicle or a work room. Why should it be any different for a mom?
Every woman needs her own office. There is nothing selfish about having your own personal space in your home; it is respectful of your own value as a person and mother as well as respectful for the responsibility you have as a parent.
In the business world you are assigned a space in which you do your work. Whether it is an office, a cubicle, or a reception desk, you have a place from which to conduct your tasks. Even sales reps who travel from client to client still have an office space within their organization. Home businesses may have the flexibility of working anywhere in the home — which is fantastic for mothers working around their children (literally!) — but even home businesses are required to have a separate designated area within the home if you wish to take advantage of the home office tax credit.
As a Professional Family Manager, it is just as important for you to have your own personal office space. You need a “Command Central” from which to organize your finances, plan your meals, maintain your calendar, and keep important papers and documents. Even if you do not spend you day working in you office, you can still be working from you office: you know where to go to find your tools; you have a place to keep incoming papers, mail, and other documents that need to be addressed at a later time; and you have a place that is uniquely yours to which you can return when you need to regroup.
Do not confuse your office space with your kitchen, bedroom, family room, or family office. If you do not have a separate room in which to create your own private domain, then creating your own space within one of these rooms is just fine…your office does not have to comprise of an entire room. However, thinking that you can keep things spread out throughout the house because you work throughout the house is not efficient and lends itself to chaos. When the calendar is in the kitchen, the mail goes to the family room, and the computer is in the bedroom, you’re going to be taking lots of extra steps though the day and wasting time that you don’t have to waste. Think of a sales rep: he or she may bring a laptop, organizer, and marketing materials to many clients located in different places thoughout the day, but the majority of his resources are in one place back at the office. You, too, are working in different places in a day — different rooms in the house, the car, waiting at a child’s activity, etc. — but you shouldn’t have to be wondering “Where did I leave that?” as you move around.
There are so many home decorating magazines, websites, and blogs with suggestions and pictures to help you set up your home office that I’m not going to offer any specific plan, although I do have some general tips below. You might try The Home Office Organizer and Tip Junkie for ideas. I also like Real Simple Magazine and Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine. Also try Alexandra Stoddard’s books, especially Creating a Beautiful Home.
Find an area to set up your space. It can be anything that works for you. If you are fortunate to have a room to spare then don’t feel selfish for taking it for you. You can use a corner of a room or even a closet; I’ve seen some “closet conversions” in decorating magazines where people with limited space made a closet suit their needs. Don’t stress about this…you don’t need to find the perfect space right away; starting with any space is better than nothing. After working there for a while you may find that it doesn’t suit your needs and realize you really should be someplace else in the house. Be flexible; don’t think that there is one perfect, prescribed way of setting things up. It is for your benefit; the only right way is your way. In my 140-year-old farmhouse we have odd-sized rooms; my office is a six-by-ten-foot room that is too small for a bedroom but too large for a closet. It was a storage room for many years, then a small bedroom when my two-year-old moved from sleeping in my room (her toys were in our large playroom), and now it is my office.
What you use for your desk and storage is whatever works. My “desk” is an old door painted and set on top of another desk that was just too small of a workspace for me. It almost takes up the entire space of the room, but that’s okay for me; I don’t need room to dance, just to work.
I also have several inexpensive (Walmart) white laminate bookshelves on which I keep more than books; everything from staplers to paper to file boxes go on the shelves. I need to be able to see and access everything quickly; I also need a very clutter-free environment in order to think. I’ve decorated using bright colors as, living in the northeast, it can be pretty dark through the winter.
You also do not need the perfect plan to get started creating your space. Start with a desk or table. The next time you need to balance the checkbook or fill out some forms, start at your space. As you find you need things, start adding them to your space. Don’t expect to set it up in one day.
Finally, here’s my personal suggestion: my rule for my office is that I only allow things I love into my space. I want to work from a happy place, and objects that bring me joy make my work that much more pleasurable.
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