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By Stephanie Roberts
Part II: Setting up Your Work Space
The furnishings you choose for your home office - especially
your desk and chair - can have a powerful influence on your
ability to succeed and prosper. When setting up a home
office, it can be tempting to use whatever extra furniture
is on hand around the house or to economize with second-hand
furnishings. Neither of these is a very good idea.
Ergonomics - how well the shape, size, and other design
features of your desk, chair, and lighting work for you -
is a very important consideration for any work space. Sure,
using that extra kitchen chair is a lot cheaper than buying
a new "executive-style" office chair, but if it's not
comfortable it is not helping you get your work done. A
lamp that's fine on a bedside table in the bedroom may be
woefully inadequate as task lighting for your workspace.
If you are going to work from home, make sure your home
office is working for you by investing in furnishings that
make it easy and comfortable for you to focus on business.
Second-hand office furniture requires special consideration,
as it often has terrible "predecessor chi." Never buy used
furniture from a business that went bankrupt, no matter how
cheap it is - it will fill your home office with the energy
of failure, anxiety, and disappointment. On the other hand,
if you absolutely positively know for sure that the
previous user of your second-hand desk chair made a zillion
dollars in a legal and ethical manner and is now living a
life of ease in Acapulco, go ahead and take it! All those
good success vibes will help you prosper as well.
Family furniture hand-me-downs will have good or bad energy
for you depending on the quality of your family
relationships. If you have a great relationship with your
Dad, for example, and consider him a good role model,
using his old desk and chair in your office can help you
feel looked after, supported, and inspired.
In general, a large desk provides energetic room for
expansive thinking and growth. However, too much large
furniture in a too-small room will stop chi cold, and you
may discover that there's no new business coming in.
A good desk chair can be adjusted to the correct height
for your body and work-surface, is stable, and provides
good back and arm support. Your desk chair represents your
support and foundation, so make sure it is in good shape
for the job.
Remember that the work you do is a form of self-expression.
Although it is important that your office furniture be
ergonomically suited to the work you do, don't feel you
have to give this space an "office" look unless it helps
you concentrate on business.
- The View from the Top -
In the corporate world, successful entrepreneurs are often
described as being "visionaries," in reference to their
ability to conceive and implement dramatically new ideas
that transform entire industries. In feng shui, "vision" -
both physical eyesight and imaginative power - is
symbolically associated with the Fame gua, with lighting
of any kind, and with the windows in your home or office.
An office that lacks windows - such as a home office
stuffed into a corner of the basement - keeps you out of
sight of others and can lead to feeling isolated and out
of touch. For an entrepreneur working from home, a
windowless office implies you could be out of touch with
your clients and that you are unable to foresee where your
entire industry is headed.
If your office has small, high windows or no view at all,
use posters of landscapes with a far horizon to create the
illusion of being able to see into the distance. If you
overlook something unattractive - such as grubby garbage
bins -- keep the blinds closed (it's best if you can use
material that will allow light in while blocking an
unattractive view). If you are fortunate in having a
beautiful, inspiring view outside your office windows,
a large wall mirror can reflect the view into the room
and fill the room with positive chi.
Be aware that mirrors can be tricky in a home office. A
mirror that reflects your desk can symbolically double
your work. In terms of your income, this could be good.
But how well will you handle the increased workload?
Sometimes more work means more stress, contributes to
family problems, and leads to physical or emotional
exhaustion. And unless you keep your desk very tidy, that
mirror will be doubling your mess and clutter as well!
To be in command of your business, sit in the Command
Position: where you have a clear view of door, but are
not directly in line with the door. If you are not in the
Command Position in your office, this can mean that you
are not in control of what's going on in your business,
and that new developments (and problems!) often take you
by surprise.
If you can't place your desk in the Command Position, use
a mirror to provide a reflected view of the doorway. And
keep in mind that a desk in the Command Position is only
helpful if you are able to get in and out of your chair
with ease, otherwise you may feel "backed up against the
wall" by business situations.
Wherever you sit, make sure that you look at something
inspiring: a photograph of your spouse and/or kids, a
brochure for that exotic vacation you hope to take by the
end of the year, or a mock-up of the "Entrepreneur of the
Year" award you intend to win someday.
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