7 Ways to Optimize Your Workspace
Having an optimized workspace is important to anyone that works on their computer a lot, whether it be on or off-line, an optimized workspace will save you a lot of time, and time is mooney! We’ve had a look at the things we’ve changed around since we started spending more hours behind our iMac to provide the world with bovine inspiration and entertainment. Here’s a list of seven things we came up with that help us in our daily quest for on-line fame and glory. Not all points will be applicable to everyone’s environment, but we’re sure our readers are smart enough to fit these tips into their own workspace:
1. Make sure everything is in reach - This means not just your mouse, keyboard and coffee, you will also need a pen and paper at times so save yourself the time and energy you’ll need looking for them, just make sure they’re not stuffed away under a pile of books on your desk. If you have business cards, have them in a pile underneath your screen for example. There’s nothing more annoying than to having to look for someone’s details when you suddenly need to contact them - if you’re clever, they’re already stored digitally on your machine anyway! Other things that should be in reach for example are your phone and something cheap to throw against the wall if your Windows PC bluescreens again 
2. Be prepared - If you’re using a wireless mouse that has no charger, have an extra pack of batteries in your desk draws. A pen can run out of ink - have two. Even though you shouldn’t, loads of us eat and drink at our desks. Having tissues around can be a lifesaver sometimes…to clean up spillage from your coffee and crumbs from your sandwich! Pizza is a different story - just don’t eat pizza at your desk. (blasphemy!)
3. Get a friend - a cubicle or an office can get a lonely place if you sit it it by yourself too long. Obviously you can’t have a ‘real’ friend in there because you’d probably end up wasting time with fun and jokes. We’ve bought a nice plant that sits on the desk. It might not talk and tell jokes, but it is a living thing and for some reason this makes many a workspace more comfortable to work in. Also pictures of your loved ones can help you smile once in a wile when you look up at their images.
4. Be plugged in - If you have the opportunity to utilize all your USB ports, make sure thy are fitted with cables you use daily. We for example have our iPod cable plugged in at all times and a usb cable that fits into our Canon Ixus 65 camera and also into our 2,5″ 60GB portable harddrive. Besides the cables, we often have our USB stick ready to go.
5. Get comfortable - Your chair is probably the most important thing of your work environment since your ass is parked in there for the best part of the day. Make sure you find a chair that fits you well. Obviously recommended is a chair that can adjust in height, rotates and has arm rests. We’ve taken it a step further and ‘installed’ a electric back massage device. (it’s really just some sort of pillow that goes over the back of your chair) Besides the iMac, this must be one of the best buys we’ve made in 2007. If you’re back feels tense and strained from sitting in that chair the whole day, 20 minutes of massage makes such a difference!
6. Create space - Its great to have two LCD screens to work with, not only can we improve the digital work flow because we don’t have to switch the active windows all the time, it also declutters the entire desk. The old VGA screens just take up way to much space. The space we’ve won with this is now being utilized by the stuff we mentioned in point 1.
7. Create barriers - We’re talking physical barriers. If you’re working, you don’t want to get distracted by everything and everyone. Since our house isn’t that big (ridiculous housing prices here in Dublin!) we’re forced to make our bedroom double as ‘the office’. One of the things we do to shut out the outside world is simply to close the door. We turn our favorite music on at a volume that will drown out any noises that come from outside the office. Once you’ve created an ‘isolated sphere’ most of you will find that these are the times that you really can get into the zone and reach your productivity peak.
Another thing we left out of our office on purpose is a wall clock. Those things are just too distracting for us. Years of work in real offices has made that clock a beacon of hope - we’re all waiting for the mighty 5 o’clock to strike so we can go home! Since we’re not employed by the man anymore, we don’t have to answer to anyone. (Besides the landlord and credit card company once a month 
)
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Some nice tips. I want a back massager
Terrific article. I would recommend getting a USB hub for the office if you only have a laptop or a set number of USB ports. I bought one a few months ago after going loco over switching my plugs to get what I needed hooked up.
BTW, first time visitor here. I am curious to see what you are all about now. Looking forward to reading some more. Keep mooing!
Too bad I don’t have extra LCD monitors, a back massager, a wireless mouse, or even an iMac. But I’ve always got my old PowerBook G4, my room to make as an office, food, and everything else a blogger needs to do his/her job! Nice pointers here, Cow!
Just don’t get a pet rock. Mine’s always stoned
nice tips
, I need a new chair and another widescreen lcd monitor 
I like the tips, especially the one about getting a “friend” to keep in your workspace with you 24/7. However, instead of a plant I think a little 5 gallon fish tank with a small goldfish or betta or tropical fish would do the friend job much better. But maybe I’m a bit biased - I’m a fish person. Heh.
These type of tasks aren’t as easy as they seem…especially if you have a better half
-Mike
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Cool post! The only thing that I don’t really “agree” with is leaving out the wall clock. I love clocks, I actually have around 7 of them in my room.
You live in Dublin? I never knew that. Where I consider ‘home’ is near the Giant’s Causeway, but I’m in Oz at the moment.
Small world.
It’s very true what you write here even though I think you go a little overboard on parts of it. You should always think about economy when you create your workspace and if you triple check everything and have 2 of everything you just gonna run out of space sometime. Even my cowshed has a limited size… Still time saving is great and I agree that all usb hubs should be used just to improve time management and reduce your “I have to search my stuff” mode.
To the friend part, unless you are using your phone all day you could consider a radio or lifestream to supply your social needs.
Great overall article.
I have a friend who talks to plants and so the part about getting a plant for a friend brought a smile to my face.
[...] 7 Ways to Optimize Your Workspace from JohnCow [...]
I’m going to optimise my work space by investing in a new pair of 22″ monitors! It might not make me more productive but it’ll sure look nice!
i dont know how to start a blog..blur..
i ‘m having proble..my pc have some sort of troan..i cannt heal or delete it
censorship?
What is it this time Mahdi?
Distraction is the main thing in my office is what keeps me from doing a good job. What I did was I started working in an unused room in the office. It did go well and focused well on my work.
PS. I love the lolcowz image.