8 Ways To Level Up Your Workspace And Elevate Your Productivity
Not only is my new workspace such a refreshing place to be in now, but it serves as a fabulous backdrop for my video calls and meetings. If that’s not enough for you, a room this beautiful just makes me so excited to show up and get to work.
Hi readers and writerly friends!
With all of the craziness of the pandemic and most people working from home now, it has become more important now than ever to tailor a special, intentional space for you to do your work and to do it well. Whether you work in an office with a team or from the comfort of your own home, your workspace can have a major impact of the quality of the work you produce and how you feel physically and mentally while you work. Since people are working from home more in 2020 it’s absolutely crucial that you set up your home office for success.
Stay tuned to check out these 8 must-haves for your at-home or in-office workspace so you can always accomplish your best work:
Get the right chair
Making sure you get your best work done starts with a comfortable workspace and a comfortable workspace begins with your seat. A comfy desk chair is an absolute must-have when you’re spending a lot of time seated in deep work and its certainly not an investment you want to skip.
Do some research on what features come with the desk chairs available to you. Consider quality, comfort, aesthetic, and pricing. I’d love to recommend my IKEA Kimstad White Millberget Swivel Chair because it is so comfy! And if you’re wanting something a little fancier, the Furmax Ribbed Office Desk Chair is a great alternative. If you’re looking for a few other chair choices, Forbes has an amazing list of office chairs from best quality to budget options.
Bright and airy workspace. Photo by Adrijana Bozic.
Bright and airy workspace. Photo by Adrijana Bozic.
2. Wallpaper or new paint
Friends, it’s time to ditch the drab drywall and add some color to your space. I recently renovated my home office by painting the walls and changing out the curtains. I went from a horrid creamy yellow color and black curtains (yeah, right? What was I thinking?) and opted for medium gray walls with a beautiful teal accent wall and sheer, teal curtains instead and let me tell you, it has made all the difference. Not only is my new workspace such a refreshing place to be in now, but it serves as a fabulous backdrop for my video calls and meetings. If that’s not enough for you, a room this beautiful just makes me so excited to show up and get to work.
As mentioned, you can add an accent wall if wallpapering or painting all four walls is just too daunting at this time. Removable wallpaper is a fantastic option for experimenting with different aesthetics— just stick it on and peel it off when you’re done.
You can find removeable wallpaper just about anywhere, but I recommend supporting fellow artists on Society6. You can find some unique and amazing wallpaper designs for a special, tailor-made workspace.
Pro tip: If you can’t commit to wallpaper or painting, consider checking out wall hangings and tapestries instead. These are a great way to add in a pop of color to your space in a less-invasive, less-permanent way. Society6 sells artist’s work in tapestries and wall hangings as well.
3. Lighting
It’s no secret that lighting is a big deal both in and out of the content creation world. Whether or not you’re working for someone else or yourself while you work from home, the quality of your work will suffer if you’re not working in the right lighting. Don’t strain your eyes. Good lighting is essential for focus and productivity. Science shows that poor lighting can ultimately impact your mindset—this study from the NIMH has found that light directly impacts mood and learning.
My Chesapeake Bay Pearlized Rain Glass Oil Diffuser. Photo by Payton Hayes.
It’s obvious that a dim, dull room doesn’t exactly do wonders for your motivation. The LE Dimmable LED Desk Lamp is one of my all-time favorite additions to my at-home workspace. With the adjustable brightness, low-profile footprint, and collapsible swivel arm, this light is perfect for both small and larger home offices. Himalayan Salt Lamps and Essential Oil Diffusers are great additions that have added benefits such as air purification and aromatherapy. I have this gorgeous Chesapeake Bay Pearlized Rain Glass Diffuser that doubles as a lamp when I want a softer light in the evenings. In that same vein, candles are also a great way to cozy up a bland office space —just make sure they’re all natural, soy-based candle, such as these lovely vegan candles from Halarosis.
If you’re going to be creating video or attending a lot of zoom meetings, this mini ring light and tripod stand is a must-have. You can easily level-up your professionalism in your online meetings or videos by upgrading your lighting and backdrop.
Bright and airy workspace. Photo by Adrijana Bozic.
4. Desk Setup
I’d venture to guess that most of your work happens at or around your desk, so assess your current workstation situation. Is your desk cluttered and messy? Are there papers and pens scattered about? Is there a Starbucks cup graveyard in your trashcan? Is it completely bare and boring? Is it easy to locate everything you need, or do you need some more organization?
Level up your desk set up with some simple organization tools to help you waste less time searching for objects and spend more time doing what’s important. Monitor desk mounts and monitor stands can be a great way to create more diskspace if you’re working with a smaller set up. And if you really want to level up your desk, consider swapping out your current set up for a standing desk. This one can be raised or lowered with the press of a button, and it offers preset options so you can easily adjust it as needed throughout the day. One of my colleagues uses a standing desk and she swears by it. It’s a great way to break up hours of sitting with a little movement and get better blood flow to the lower half of your body.
5. Organization
Be prepared for anything by keeping all your essential office supplies nearby in your home office. Depending on what kind of work you do, it’s a pretty safe bet to stock up on all the office basics: paper, pens, printer ink, tape, staples, etc. Having these items readily available in your workspace helps you stay organized and productive. Filing systems, pen and pencil holders, are a lifesaver for keep all of your must-haves tucked neatly away but still within reach. This beautiful rose gold organizer is my go-to and can be a great addition to your space to keep you from losing important papers in all those would-be piles. It also has divided compartments for easy access of the supplies you reach for the most. Keep the bulk of your supplies stockpiled somewhere out of the way and keep only what you need at your desk.
Likewise, if you don’t want to use an on-desk organizer, consider using a bulletin board or in-desk filing system. This great corkboard is affordable and available on amazon here. You can also stay organized by using a white board, desktop calendar, or planner. The possibilities are endless! Just do what works for you and helps you to keep organized and productive.
6. Office plants
Where are my green thumbs at? Adding in a plant or two is a great way to purify the air while doubling as cute décor. If your workspace is feeling a little bland, an office plant might be just what you need. Good news for my friends who aren’t particularly plant-inclined: you don’t have to be a seasoned gardener to keep most office-friendly plants alive.
This article by Sophie Lee from NBC News, explains how Houseplants directly affect our health in a positive way:
At work, place plants, especially those with broad leaves, on your desk; they will help regulate humidity and increase levels of positivity — seeing greenery and nature help us feel more relaxed and calm, which in turn benefits your everyday mood.
— Sophie Lee, NBC News
You can read the full article here.
My go-to office plants are snake plants, ivy, and monsteras. Snake plants require minimal attention and can add some vibrancy back into your office space. Ivy plants can be a beautiful touch to any room with taller shelfs or high places for the plants long curtain of tendrils to cascade down. Monstera plants are great for bigger spaces and can give your home office a tropical vibe. Bamboo, succulents, and aloe plants are other low maintenance choices. And failing that, you can always spruce up your workspace with fake plants too!
Pink desktop decor. Photo by Adrijana Bozic.
7. Customize your office
One awesome perk of working from home is the ability to design your office the way you want to. Add in your own style and make sure your workspace feels like you. Whether or not you’re actually your own boss, it’s much easier to focus and be productive when you feel at home in your office. Customize and decorate your workspace in a way that gets your excited to do your most important work. Add in some personal touches such as a photo with a friend or a note from a loved one. These kinds of personalized additions not only help level up your workspace but they can cheer you up on tough work days when you need an encouraging reminder of who you are and the people who believe in what you can do.
This photo holder is great for displaying multiple pictures in one small space. You can also create a mood/vision board with motivational quotes, positive affirmations and your personal goals for a custom collage that reminds you to keep pushing towards your goals.
8. Tidy up any and all clutter
If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, then you might know how much I love Gretchen Rubin’s book Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness and we’re going to touch on that again real quick. Too much clutter piling up in your workspace can eventually get to you, even if you’re an organized-chaos type of person. To stay efficient and productive, make sure everything has a place and regularly tidy up to keep everything in order. A great way to combat daily clutter is to use the tried and true ‘Leave the Room’ rule. Whether its your empty coffee cup after a day’s work or the overflowing paper bin, making sure to complete one tidying up task every time you leave the room will do wonders for keeping your workspace tidy with minimal effort. This practice takes seconds and will save you so much time in the long run.
And that’s it for my eight tips on how to level-up your home office or workspace! What do you think of these tips? What are your plans for sprucing up your workstation? Let me know what you thought of the post in the comments below!
Related topics:
How To Organize Your Digital Life: 5 Tips For Staying Organized as a Writer or Freelancer
Yoga For Writers: A 30-Minute Routine To Do Between Writing Sessions
Spring Cleaning For Writers: 10 Things Every Writer Should Do Before 2020!
—Payton
Yoga For Writers: A 30-Minute Routine To Do Between Writing Sessions
Hello readers and writerly friends!
This week in Reader Life, we’re taking it back to the basics—mindfulness, intention, and self-love. The writing process can be tough sometimes. We often get so into our writing that we forget to step back and take care of ourselves. With NaNoWriMo just around the corner, I thought this would be a great time to step out of my usual writing advice avenue and help you remember to show yourself some love. Whether you’re stuck at a desk 9-5 reading or writing, this yoga routine designed for writers will help you get back to your center, get out of your own head, and relax while also waking up all those sedentary muscles.
And lets be honest, after writing an blog post about yoga it makes me want to get back into my own practice. Back in 2017 I was in the best shape of my life with my daily yoga routine and I know I need to come back to the mat. I love yoga—I always feel so energetic yet relaxed after even a brief session. It is a distinctly renewed feeling you get from yoga, that you just can’t find in any other physical practice. I always feel relaxed and less stressed, energized and clear of mind after my yoga routine and this is great headspace to be in for writing.
Many people will argue they can’t do yoga because “I just can’t get into it” or they’re “not flexible enough!” It’s all about the journey—the baby steps. You can’t be come completely fluid overnight and just the same, yoga isn’t for people who are flexible already, it’s for people who are wanting to become flexible. Likewise, it will require a bit of concentration, perseverance, and time to get into yoga seriously. I remember when I first got into it and I just felt so silly doing yoga by myself in my tiny bedroom at home. It was quite hard to take it seriously and not get in my head about it. You just have to remind yourself that this is for your mental and emotion health and your writing as much as it is for your own physical health and stick with it!
This yoga routine is tailor-made for writers and readers chained to the desk for ours on end each day. It focuses on the shoulders, neck, and back, which tend to be problem areas for us writers. All of the movements in this simple, 30-minute routine are beginner-level. No human-pretzeling necessary! Once you have done this quick little mindful routine a handful of times, it quickly becomes a nice little break between writing sessions.
Before we get into our own flow, lets go over a few of the yoga basics for anyone here that is new to the yoga practice.
Movements—Yoga is all about slow, smooth, controlled movements. There is no need to rush. Take the time to linger in movements that feel good to you and ultimately listen to your body.
Breathing—One of the key elements of yoga is the breathing. And in fact, this is the part I struggled with the most because I kept thinking “ugh, why do I need to worry about breathing. It’s not like I’m going to forget how to do it.” But breathing is integral to the practice and if you can put those nagging, unhelpful thoughts aside, you might see how good it feels to do some mindful breathing. You want to take slow, deep breaths. Focus on your breath and be aware of how it feels to let your lungs fully fill with air as you inhale and fully empty as you exhale. Briefly hold your breath and let it linger in your chest and imagine your oxygen-rich breath being pushed gently to all of your muscles. In yoga, the biggest part to remember about breathing is to inhale when you move into a pose and to exhale as you move out of that pose. You should take it slow at first but with time, you will become more fluid with it.
Body and Mind Awareness—Of course this directly ties into the movements and breathing elements of yoga, but its important that you empty your thoughts and try to keep a clear, focused mind while working on your practice. Focus on your breath, your movements, and try to think positive thoughts. When you find yourself going down the rabbit hole of divergent thoughts (don’t worry it happens to all of us) take a moment to breathe deeply and re-center yourself. If you’re struggling to take the yoga practice seriously, just say to yourself, “This is a special time I carved out for myself so I can remember to practice mindfulness, self-care and love.” Nagging thoughts will have a hard time arguing with that, trust me. This is a time to meditate and relax, so shut out all of your worries, responsibilities and stresses of daily life.
Equipment—This is optional and it all comes down to preference. You’re welcome to use a yoga mat if you like, but you can also use a towel or blanket if you don’t have a mat. If you’ve got a fluffy carpeted area, that will work too. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and keep some water handy in case you get thirsty during your flow. (No worries, we won’t be doing any serious exertion here.) Additionally, you can put on some nature sounds or soft instrumental music in the background. Candles and soft lighting goes great with yoga as well!
Now that we covered all of the basics, are you ready? Let’s get started!
All poses mentioned in this blog post are accompanied by links that further explain how to execute the pose perfectly without strain or injury. Just remember to take it slow. Yoga should never hurt, so be aware of how you feel during the practice and take it one step at a time.
Section 1: Meditation and Neck
To begin, come to the mat and sit with your back straight and legs crossed or tucked underneath you, whichever feels most comfortable. Place your hands gently on your knees and close your eyes in Meditation Pose. Remember to have a good posture, but relax and try to clear your mind, focusing on your breath and becoming aware of your body. Hold this post for about 30 breaths (1 inhale + 1 exhale = 1 breath). Conclude this with a long, Lion’s Breath and proceed with the rest of the routine.
Next, lets work on loosening the neck and shoulders. Do the following steps, while remembering to take deep breaths and move slowly:
1. Roll your shoulders forward eight times and then back eight times.
2. Roll your head in gentle circles five times to the right and then five times to the left. Look gently to the right, as far as you can and roll your head down and to the left. Do this five times and then repeat, switching sides.
3.Bring your chin down to your chest as far as you can, lowering your shoulders gently. You should feel a deep, refreshing stretch curving up your spine and down the sides of your neck. Hold this stretch for three to five breaths. If you like, you can gently massage your temples or just behind your ears. Repeat.
4. Next, stretch you neck to the left and right and hold each stretch for several breaths. You can add a gentle pressure to your head by placing your palm to your cheek and pressing slightly. You should not feel any strain here but popping in the spine and neck joints is normal.
5. Bring your hands together behind you and gently press them outward, as much as you can without straining or pulling too hard. Draw your shoulder blades together in a nice, gentle squeeze. Hold this for three to five breaths. Release and return to your meditation pose.
6. Shake it out! (Gently!) Move your neck and shoulders in whatever way feels nice. Gently shake our your hands give your shoulders a little shimmy.
Section 2: Back and Shoulders
Now that your neck is nice and loosened up, lets continue on to the rest of the poses, with more focus on the back and shoulders. Remember to take these movements slowly and breathe deeply as you go. Inhale as you move into a pose and exhale as you move out of the pose. Hold each pose for four to eight breaths or longer if you like.
1. Start this sequence in a Seated Twist. You will likely feel a gentle, warm stretch in your side and legs here, and again popping in joints is normal. Repeat twice on each side.
2. Bring your legs under you and transition into Cat Cow pose. Repeat four to six times. For this pose, simply move with your breaths—no need to hold either part of the pose for any extended period of time. Just inhale and curve the spine gently up towards the sky, then on your exhale, push the air out slowly as you bring the belly down and curve the tail and head upwards.
3. Tuck your feet under you, bring the tailbone backwards and sink softly into Child’s Pose. Stretch your arms out past your head and let your forehead kiss the mat. Hold this pose for a few breaths.
4. Raise up on your hands and knees again back into Cat Cow and repeat four to six times.
5. Return to Child’s Pose.
6. Once in Child’s Pose, bring your arms around and clasp them behind you, facing them upward in Seal Pose. Hold this for a couple of breaths then return to Child’s Pose for a few more breaths.
7. From Child’s Pose, use your hands and knees to transition to Sphinx Pose. Rest gently on your elbows and point your toes out behind you. Keep your neck and shoulders low and unhunched and face forward. Remember to smile for yourself.
8. Next, push yourself up into Cobra Pose. Remember to breathe here. If this pose is too challenging return to Sphinx Pose and take a few breaths. If you are able to, hold Cobra Pose for two breaths.
9. Lower yourself back down to Sphinx Pose and slowly curl back into Child’s Pose. Then bring your torso down to the earth and Thread The Needle on both sides. Rest softly on your head and shoulder’s her and don’t smash them into the mat. Instead, allow them to kiss the mat softly and keep most of your weight on your knees which should be spaced apart slightly.
10. Next, slowly move to a flat position on your back. Bring your arms over your head and reach as far as you can. Point the toes here and lengthen the spine. Get a nice, warm stretch moving through the entire body. Softly roll wrists and ankles. Flutter your fingers and toes. Take turns hugging one knee into your chest and then the other in Half Wind Relieving Pose.
11. Lastly, lay with your palms facing upward and at your sides in Corpse Pose. Close your eyes. Remain in this pose for a few moments, breathing deeply and relaxing before retuning to the desk. When you rise, come up slowly to avoid getting a head rush. Breathe deeply and when you’re fully standing once again, give yourself a hug. Remember to drink some water when you get back to the desk.
You did it! See, it wasn’t that bad, was it? I bet you’re feeling pretty good right about now, huh? Now that you’re all relaxed and rejuvenated, you’re ready to start your next writing session. Want a free, handy PDF guide for this routine for next time? Click here! (IT HAS CATS!) That way, next time you’ll be all ready to go when you need a break from the writing process.
So, what did you think of this relaxing 30-minute routine for writers? Do you like yoga? Have you ever tried it before today? How do you like to relax between writing sessions? What was your favorite pose mentioned in this flow? Let me know in the comments down below!
Thumbnail photo by Zen Bear Yoga.
—Payton
5 MORE Ways to Stay Organized as a Writer or Freelancer
It’s hard enough keeping organized as a person in general, but add being a freelancer and/or business owner into the mix—of course we’re going to feel a little in over our heads sometimes. Not to worry, though—I’ve put together a list of five ways to stay organized as a freelancer! Not a freelancer just yet? You can still use all of these tips to your advantage and hopefully they will help you move closer to your goal of being your own boss!
If you haven’t read the first blog post I wrote on this topic, click here!
Get organized digitally
You may have heard the words “spring cleaning” at some point in your life, but as an online content creator and freelance editor, I am here to tell you that this phrase doesn’t just refer to de-cluttering objects in your real life—it also means keeping organized virtually. As a Virgo (I think Jenna Marbles can relate!) there is nothing worse than a chaotic, cluttered room when I sit down to work. This is no different in my digital spaces. I try to keep everything just as organized on my computer as I do in my home.
Folders are labeled and sometimes colored, projects are divided up into parts, and everything has a place. I even have a method for planning and preparing my blog posts that go out every Friday. Monday mornings, I will start brainstorming, outlining, and designing my blog posts. I typically get them completed way ahead of time, but it’s nice to know that if I get stumped, I have until Friday at 12 PM CST to finish everything up.
I like to color-code my folders according to the four following categories: not ready, some parts completed, time-sensitive, and ready to post. I typically schedule three blog posts to go out at a time, but this system allows me to write posts ahead of time (or when I am feeling particularly inspired) and save them for later. I do this by using the free windows app, Folder Colorizer. To further organize, I break each project down into three parts: photos, thumbnail image/cover image, and the blog post text. It takes time to complete each of these tasks so by breaking them down, I can effectively time-batch similar tasks. (Keep reading!)
Calendar blocking
Calendar block like there’s no tomorrow.
This may look different for each person—Amy Landino practically blocks out every waking (and sleeping) second on her calendar. I personally, prefer to only block out things that aren’t part of my current routine or items that have changed in the routine, and once they become part of my everyday life, they get taken off the calendar. No matter how intense you go with your own calendar blocking, make sure that it is sustainable for you. You don’t want to just start throwing events and appointments up on the calendar without rhyme or reason! You might consider only blocking a few things to start with so you don’t get overwhelmed.
I prefer to use Google calendar. I have never enjoyed physically writing events out on a paper calendar or planner—maybe that’s just my inner perfectionist talking, but I truly do live for flexibility a digital calendar offers me. In addition to that, I can pretty much connect anything to my Google calendar—yoga classes, dentist appointments, and even bills! Also, Google calendar works seamlessly among your other Google accounts and can be connected to Trello if you use that, but it’s definitely not the only calendar to go with! You can even try out a few different calendars to see which works best for you. Like I said before, Google calendar is my go-to and that’s what you’ll see in the pictures below!
As you can see above, this is what my calendar looks like on a month-by-month basis. Of course some events change, I end up with different editing clients, and the occasional dentist appointment will arise. I like to block out only the items that are not routine/temporary routines such as an event that may be a week or month long. However, it doesn’t hurt to get into the details. You can always include your morning routine, nightly pre-sleep rituals, and gym days as well.
Of course, the next two pictures show you what my weekly and daily views for my calendar look like. You can see the different calendars I am subscribed to on Google calendar (with exception to a few for my own privacy/editing client’s privacy.) I like to include Out of Office appointments, so when several of them pop up in the same day/week I can save time by time-batching similar tasks! (I promise, it’s the next item in this list!) I further filter my tasks into calendars such as bills, writing/prep for this blog, designing merchandise and preparing for my next two poetry books, and work for my freelance editing business, to name a few.
Pro tip: Ditch the to-do list! Yes, they can help you get an idea of what you need to do in a day, week, month, or even a year. However, to-do lists are more of a brain-dump instead of color-coded, sorted tasks. When you start looking at a calendar more like a timed to-do list, it helps you prioritized the events in your life. Instead of just looking at an arbitrary list of wants and needs, filter tasks out into events and appointments in your calendar. If you have a hard time separating tasks that you need to get done versus tasks you would like to get done, then consider using a prioritization matrix.
Time-batch similar tasks
Time-batching is the art of grouping similar activities together to save time. For instance, if you are a YouTuber and you need to film a talking-head video, use the opportunity to film several in one day! (Just make sure to change your clothes and accessories so your subscribers don’t catch on!) If you know you have an interview or business meeting, why not take this opportunity (when you have made yourself presentable) to schedule a coffee date with an old friend to catch up? This not only makes great use of your time (and finely styled hair and makeup) but it allows you to build connections with the people in your life—whether they’re your lifelong friends or just a newly made acquaintance.
In addition to time-batching out of office appointments, you can time-batch project tasks as well! Like I mentioned above, I like to break down my projects into three smaller parts: photos, thumbnails, and text. However, instead of trying to crank out all three parts of the project in one sitting, I know I can more effectively complete projects by time-batching their similar tasks. If I am editing photos for one project, and I know I will need to edit photos for another, it just makes sense that I get all of my editing out of the way in one session. When I get on a role with writing, it is much easier to start working out the details of the next blog post after I’ve been typing for a bit and already have my writer-brain warmed up. If you’re a creative, you know how hard it is to break away from what you’re doing and is much easier to simply push on until the project is complete. I pair this almost unhealthy ability to stubbornly get things done with time-batching so that I can both achieve the highest level of productivity whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
Only check your email once a day
I’ll be honest, I don’t always follow this tip, but when I do, I notice that I am so much more productive and less distracted. Sometimes, it just makes sense to answer all your emails at a set time instead of compulsively checking your inboxes to ensure they’re at 0. Set an alarm just after lunch or whenever you feel is best for answering email and only respond at that set time. This way, you can be in touch without having others think you have nothing better to do with you time.
Turn off your notifications
On a very similar note to the one mentioned above, turning off your notifications can be a huge boost to your productivity. Even if you’re not looking to increase your productivity, perhaps you want to be more focused or more mindful in the moment—and turning off your notifications will help you do just that! I personally only have notifications on for text and Snapchat and even then, my phone is typically on do-not-disturb. There is nothing groundbreaking that I absolutely must see the moment a piece of content goes live. I don’t NEED to be notified every time this influencer tweets that or a YouTuber posts a new video. It’s just another distraction that I don’t need while I am working. Additionally, if someone really needs to get my attention—my loved ones specifically—can break through my do-not-disturb.
As you can see, I don’t have many notifications turned on. Also, don’t be worried for me—that’s the most screen time I’ve had all week and I was editing photos today. 😉
So what do you think about these tips for staying organized as a freelancer? Do you think they’ll help you stay organized? Did I forget any tips that you love? Sound off in the comments below!
Thumbnail photos by Karolina Grabowska.
—Payton
How To Organize Your Digital Life: 5 Tips For Staying Organized as a Writer or Freelancer
When it comes to writing, something we don’t always keep in mind is how necessary it is to keep our materials/notes organized and our writing space clutter-free. If you’ve been around the blog for a moment, then you know I am a huge proponent of Gretchen Rubin’s Outer Order Inner Calm and I practically preach that book at any opportunity I get.
But it’s not just the “outer” organization that matters. In fact, as writers, we have several writing spaces that all need to be kept tidy in order for us to write stress-free. We have our digital space which encompasses the cloud, your PC or Mac’s hard drive, and your email inbox. Then, we have our physical space which encompasses our actual writing area such as our desks and the room in which we do the actual writing. Lastly, our most important writing space is our notebooks, binders, and folders that hold anything related to our books and their contents. By keeping all of these things organized, you set yourself up for success in your writing.
Keeping the Cloud Organized
This is probably one of the easiest elements of our writing space to keep organized. If you use Google Drive, One Drive, or Dropbox, then you know your content is safe and secure in the cloud so you can write freely without the worry of corrupted files or the loss of unsaved work. However, it can be quite easy to clutter up your cloud storage pretty quickly. One way to keep cloud storage organized is to routinely remove unnecessary documents and keep only the essentials in the cloud. The second way to keep your cloud storage organized is to create a file system that makes sense and is easy to navigate.
Pro Tip: While we’re on the subject of external storage, I have to take a moment to say how important it is to have a backup storage system in case of a power outage, file corruption, or anything else that can cause you to lose you work. The worst thing to happen to a writer is to lose all the progress you’ve made and have to start over due to poor storage practices. I keep a current back up of all my content both in the cloud and on an external hard drive.
Keeping Your Hard Drive Organized
Borrowing some advice from the first item in this list, you can keep your hard drive organized by creating a file system that makes sense and is easy to navigate. My favorite way to organize my folders for both writing, editing, and work on my website, is to colorize them with this handy little tool called Folder Colorizer. (Not affiliated with them, I just really love this application!)
In the screenshots below you can see how I colorize my folders for my website. The color-coding helps me know at a glance which of my projects need to be started, have been started and have some progress, and which projects are completed and ready to be posted. For a traditional book writer, this might look a little different, such as red for “to-do’s” yellow for “works in progress” and green for “completed” elements of your novel. By picking the novel process apart, it makes the project seem a little less daunting.
Color-coding folders with Folder Colorizer.
You can color-code folders with Google Drive (for free) as well, but color options are limited.
Keeping Your Email Inbox Organized
Inbox 0 is one of the most satisfying things ever. Maybe that’s saying something about how boring my life is but seriously, if you’ve never cleaned your inbox out completely, then you’ve got to do it! Unsubscribe from email lists that aren’t helping you grow as a writer or freelancer, delete old conversations, and organize that inbox! I have a “delete later” folder that houses all of my important but not that important emails that I want to hang onto for a little while. After a few months, this folder gets emptied, but it saves my inbox from getting cluttered.
Other folder ideas for email organization include:
5-year folder or 7-year folder for all business documentation —Read this post from Nolo that explains what types of documentation you should keep on record for your business.
Clients folder for emails between yourself and clients or your other site users and clients
B2B folder for emails from your business to other businesses
Legal folder for any important legal documents you may need to access easily
*Make sure to back up any super important documents in a secondary backup location.
Keeping Your Physical Space Organized
Rodrigo Cazanova’s Post-It Board keeps his writing organized. He says the purple notes are for the character’s travels, the pink notes are character interactions, the blue ones are info notes, and the green sticky notes are scenes.
This is probably one of the least fun of the organization methods I am suggesting but its completely necessary to creating a space that is conducive to writing. I won’t go on another rant about Gretchen Rubin, but I will show you a few ways to keep your physical writing space organized.
Create a file system or caddy for all your notes, notebooks, binders, etc.
Set up a clean and organized desk area to write (your bed doesn’t count!)
Use a dry-erase board, bulletin board, or post-it note system to stay on track
Design a vision board or playlist that reminds you of your novel, the setting, and the characters to help you stay focused when you sit down to write
Keeping Your Notebooks and Binders Organized
I prefer to use a binder, but some writers prefer notebooks. It’s all about what works for you and what is easier to keep organized. Kristen Martin prefers to use several different notebooks for different aspects of her writing and projects. A friend of mine from a writer group on Facebook prefers to use a bulletin board system for keeping his work organized. Another writerly friend I know uses a planner for her books. She outlines the book and sets a deadline, then uses the planner to help her stay on track throughout the writing process.
Since I prefer the single binder method, I have included a special kit for you guys! This printable set of binder pages will help you keep your writing notes organized and neat all in one place!
Click here to get your Story Binder Printables!
If you’d like to read a continuation of these tips, check out my blog post, 5 More Tips for Staying organized as a Freelancer!
And that’s it for my 5 tips for staying organized as a writer! What organization methods do you use? Are there any that I haven’t listed here that you just love? Comment below!
Thumbnail photo by Markus Spiske.
—Payton
5 Actionable New Year's Resolutions For Writers in 2020
1.Share your writing with others more often.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
It can be hard as a writer to be vulnerable and open to criticism, but it is crucial to our growth and improvement to feel comfortable putting our work out into the world, despite what others say. Always use your best judgment when dealing with criticism to determine if it was constructive or just negativity. But by opening up and letting the world into our stories, we grow and gradually become used to having other eyes on our work. Coming to terms with this is essential for aspiring writers desiring professional writing work.
2. Try a new writing style or medium for telling stories.
Do you usually write in a certain POV or tense? Do your stories typically take on a humorous or satirical tone? What voice do you normally write in? Is your target audience the same every time? Change it up by writing new stories in different ways.
Another way to freshen up the writing process is to work with different methods of storytelling. Of course, audio-visual mediums can be used for storytelling and often are, but I’m specifically referring to the written word—poems, plays, short stories, novelettes, novels, articles, blog posts, and reviews. Consider writing in a different medium to explore and learn new techniques, styles, and practices.
3. Watch, read, and write stories in genres you’re unfamiliar with.
This one likely requires some research but by branching out into a new genre, you learn all kinds of different storytelling techniques and styles that were gated by your own genre. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you open up your craft to new growth. Diving into new genres can seem unappealing at first, but you’ll find all kinds of hidden gems in other genres and the challenge will breed new creativity.
4. Make creativity part of your everyday routine.
I written extensively on consistency and building in time for writing but the gist is this: writing every day makes you a better writer because a) practice does make perfect and b) it acts like exposure therapy by bringing you face-to-face with the fear associated with the writing process (fears of inadequacy or imperfection) often enough that you get used to it and overcome this obstacle.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
As someone who was incredibly busy and believed in the idea that creativity strikes only at certain time, I used to think this was impossible, but I can assure you it is achievable. Consider one of the previous options such as writing in a new medium. By writing new blog posts for this blog, all the time, I am exposing myself to the writing process and therefore making it increasingly easier to write in my passion projects.
The blog takes off the looming pressure of trying to achieve constant perfection and allows me to just write freely. Then, when I sit down to write fantasy, it’s easier every day, and since I’m all warmed up from writing blog posts, I can produce better quality work.
5. Learn to enjoy the writing process and not just the end result.
How does that quote go? It’s all about the journey, not the destination? Writing is EXACTLY like that. Our novels and stories are for others to enjoy and the process itself is for us to enjoy. It’s the intimate, scared process of bleeding onto the page, of pouring out our souls, and manufacturing stardust into the written word, and therefore it should be enjoyed.
Writers should completely and fully feel the fear, pain, sadness, confusion, satisfaction, happiness, excitement, and fulfillment, as well as all the other emotions that come with writing. They should wholeheartedly appreciate and understand the process of taking a fleeting thought and sculpting it into a living, breathing idea that takes root in the mind of others. They should value and hold dear the writing process because it is as integral to their being as air to the human lungs.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
It’s never about the destination, the end product—because it’s not meant for us—it’s meant for our readers. It is however, about the process, the journey, the steps we take to get there and everything we experience along the way—the learning, the reckoning, the weaving of words to form a story. Most writers have a love hate relationship with the writing process and this is as it should be. However, we should also recognize the value and the wild, seemingly untamable beauty in the process.
Alright, let’s liven things up a bit, shall we? Sorry to get all mushy about writing on you there for a second. It’s something I hold dear to my heart so any chance I get, I am going to take the time to discuss the writing process.
That’s it for my 5 Actionable Writing New Year’s Resolutions for 2020! I really love all of these goals because they’re practical, actionable, and sustainable. I know those seem like buzzwords people just toss around, but I do really think these writing resolutions are ones that we all can stick to year-round!
What do you think of my writing resolutions? Do they overlap with your own writing resolutions? What would you add to this list? Comment below and let me know what you think!