Thought: There are people in this world who have multi-million dollar companies and yet do not have a personal office area. Interesting. What does this mean? Well, all business have different needs, but it's easy to see how technology can eliminate alot of the "stuff" that we think we need to be productive. In fact, getting rid of the stuff might actually make us more productive.
Dan Sullivan, co-founder of "Strategic Coach" (a $25 million dollar company) says a couple of significant things about "the office".
- just get rid of the office
- the office is where entrepreneurs go to hide from opportunity
- it can be part of an inferiority complex because entrepreneurs struggling to establish themselves fall into thinking that a nice, big office helps serve to validate their business.
- your office quickly becomes a mess of incomplete work that steals your energy and makes you discouraged
Hmmm, reminds me of the 37signals guys. They also have a multi-million dollar company and they require NONE of their employees to come into "the office". They do this because they believe that real work never gets done in the office. They ask, "Where do you go when you really need to think and get stuff done?" The answer is NEVER "The office." Seems to be working out for them.
I don't think your office needs to look like the pic above. But having a desk that is completely clear by night time might be a thought. I used to think I needed a desk with alot of space for alot of stuff, but I decided to go without an "office space" for a while and...
1) I haven't missed a thing.
2) I've been getting more things done.
3) I've been more focused on events, experiences, and people - being out in the marketplace and making things happen.
4) Everything that used to take up physical space can be transferred to "The Cloud".
5) My laptop even broke down and I haven't even really missed that either.
6) Throwing away stuff feels like I'm throwing away my excuses.
Nice timing. I just committed today to a VERY pared down lifestyle and this is encouraging! Excited!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Antares. Yes, I'm excited about living a pared down lifestyle as well.
ReplyDelete