Guest post by James Adams

Your workspace should spur creativity, innovation and productivity. When you step into your office, you should want to do your work. You should have the desire to go above and beyond rather than scraping by with the bare minimum. Here are some ways you can make your workspace more conducive to productivity.

1. Keep your office clutter-free – Workspaces collect clutter. You might have the reports that you used for a weeks-ago presentation. There may be that folder that you used when you were first hired. Put the important clutter back to its place. Throw away any clutter that is no longer useful. You do not want to spend your time thinking, “I should move that,” rather than working on your latest assignment.

2. Rearrange the furniture – Rearrange the furniture so it provides the best view and the best environment with which to work. If you want to be looking out the window, look out the window. If you enjoy being somewhat claustrophobic, move your desk setup into the closet. If you have to work with other people, see if you can move your desk or change the position of your computer.

3. Comfortable chairs – Nobody wants a chair that is uncomfortable. Some chairs are great for the short term, others for the long term. There is a lot more leeway in the short term chairs. Your workspace chair should be like being in heaven when you first rest upon it and remain comfortable for at least an hour. It should be adjustable in height and you should be able to place your feet solidly on the floor.

4. Heating – You might become distracted with the temperature of your office. You do not want to be sweating. You do not want to be bundling up in blankets. Keep your temperature in a comfortable range, perhaps a little warmer in summer, a little cooler in winter to save energy. Make sure that you are not sitting underneath the vent.

5. Lighting – There should be plenty of natural lighting flooding into your workspace. Give yourself a reason to look outside by planting some flowers and spurring that motivation. Your workspace is not a cave or a prison. It should be sunlit.

6. Move the clock – Take the clock out of your field of vision. If you are consistently turning to the clock, you are distracted from your work. Move that clock to where you have to intentionally look at it.

7. Change the colors – If the colors of your office put you to sleep, you are less likely to be productive. Study a little bit of color theory, add some vibrant colors to your office. Put colorful pictures on the wall. Do not be afraid to spice up your area.

8. Remove distractions – A lot of your time will be spent in front of your computer. Sometimes that distraction is necessary, but you do not want to be consistently distracted by pictures of your family. Move the exciting posters outside of your immediate field of vision. Take the dishes that you used last week and move them under the desk.

9. Everything is negotiable – You are not stuck with your office layout. You can move the chairs and desks. You can move the shelves. If you’re not pleased with the way that your desk is presented, change it. This is your workspace. The area is designed for your productivity.

10. Use conference rooms for more than conferences – You might need to think. You might need a quiet place to brainstorm your next company strategies. The conference room should be flexible to your needs, rather than designed for a single purpose.

A workspace should be the catalyst of productivity. Take a few moments to remove clutter and create a current message on the whiteboard. Changing the energy of your office promotes new ideas.

James Adams writes about business practices and productivity at an online store offering office stationery and office supplies for companies in the UK.

There comes a time in a writer’s life that they must decide if this is where they want to be and where they really want to go. I’ve done the freelance thing for many years now and frankly it’s just not giving me the satisfaction, or the money, that I desired. The bottom line is, I’m sick of writing for other people. I want to concentrate on my own writing and my own websites.

Before I started freelancing as a career/job/whatever, I had looked into several other avenues to make money and to help people find information. I was intrigued by marketing products, private label rights articles and a few other things. I seem to be leading back towards those things, as opposed to writing for other websites.

The people I had seen doing these things years ago are still in the same business. I have to admit that back then I thought maybe it was cheesy and wouldn’t last. I wanted to make an honest dollar and do all of this writing. Well I still want to make an honest dollar and write, but I also want more residual income as well. So now the past isn’t looking so cheesy. Maybe it’s the path I should have taken back then? Or perhaps I needed to learn a few things before going down that road. Either way, I feel like I’m back to square one and possibly starting over, but that’s okay too, it seems exciting again.

So there will be some regrouping of what the Stafford Scribe is all about. I will still write (for myself), I will still accept guest posts, but I will not be taking on any new clients and I will be following what I want to do and what I feel is right for me.

It will take time to get regrouped and redirected, but it’s not like I’ve been updating the way I should–so most of you won’t miss a beat. :)

I’ve always been about following your passion. Sometimes the passion changes and sometimes it comes back around to where it started. If you find yourself in this situation, just go with it.

Happy Writing Adventures!

Having trouble finding the motivation you need to get things done at work? When you begin an exciting project, it’s easy to find the motivation you need. Maintaining that level of motivation every day, however, can be a challenge. Sometimes, your work is just downright boring!

Just remember that you’re not alone in your feelings. Instead of beating yourself up or giving up, take a few small steps that will boost your motivation and lead you to the success you deserve.

Take Care of Yourself

Are there any basic needs in your personal life that need to be addressed? Sometimes, your lack of motivation at work can result from a lack of sleep, proper nutrition, or conflict that drains your energy. Choose to take care of yourself, and your motivation will naturally increase in every area of your life.

For instance, if you’ve become accustomed to staying up late and getting little sleep, you’ll drag and lack energy at work. Everyone’s sleep needs are different, but the average person requires 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Make sure you get an adequate amount of rest.

Also make sure that you maintain a healthy diet. The food and drinks you put in your body have a huge impact on the way you feel. If you eat poorly at work, you’ll feel lethargic. Also, a diet that’s too strict can make you feel tired, hungry, and irritable.

Pay attention to your mental health. Sometimes you can’t find motivation at work because your thoughts are preoccupied with something else. Get to the root of your challenges and seek the advice of friends or loved ones. Choose to nurse your body and your mind so that you’re ready for the challenges of each workday.

Stay Active and Motivated

Once your basic personal needs are met, you can turn your attention to fighting the boredom. Ask yourself what you like about your job. Write down as many positive things about your job as you can think of.

Then write down the things you dislike about your job. Ask yourself, “What am I willing to do to make it the way I want it?” Focus on solutions instead of problems, and your motivation for success will quickly increase.

If you’re bored because your day has become monotonous, seek opportunities to make changes to your daily routine at work. Come up with a new way of doing things. Ask about training programs or other duties you can take on to increase your value to the company and your level of interest in your job.

Another powerful approach to stamp out boredom is to seek a mentor. Learn to be the best from someone who performs your job at a high level. Anything is more fun when you’re good at it. A mentor can answer specific questions about your job and help you to find the excitement in every day as well.

Know When It’s Time to Make A Change

Sometimes, boredom is a signal that something’s wrong. You may be in the wrong position to utilize your talents most effectively. Perhaps your employer may be able to direct you to other opportunities within the company that are better suited to your talents, abilities, and interests.

Often, taking part in other hobbies and interests that you’re passionate about on the weekends can cure the boredom you experience on the weekdays. Having something you look forward to can be a powerful antidote to the daily “blahs.” Pursue what makes you happy in your free time and you may find that motivation appears out of nowhere.

Most of all, realize that you deserve success. Set yourself apart from those who settle for the tedious, daily grind. Today, decide to take care of yourself, pursue your passion and make the most of every day at your job. You’ll be glad you did!

by James Adams

Besides finding work that pays more, writers can increase their income by producing more in less time. The danger is, however, that speed will diminish quality, thus negating anything gained by working faster. Here you will find 10 techniques that will improve your writing speed without adversely impacting your quality so you can get more good work done in less time.

1. Practice writing: Through experience, you should expect to make productivity gains over time. By constantly being on the job and producing quality work, you will notice that you meet deadlines easier week after week. No matter how patient you are, you probably will eventually reach a plateau where you need some other techniques to prod you along.

2. Get ideas ready in advance: As you go about your work and get new ideas for writing, start your work early by listing points in your document. When the time comes to complete the job, your subconscious is already on task and you have some thoughts to help you overcome inertia and get right into producing your content.

3. Plan: Get your jobs organized in a useable “getting things done” system that works for you. It helps to know what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. You will get more work done just by introducing organization into your chaotic schedule.

4. Do something else if you run into snags: Rather than forcing output, get your mind on something else for a while. This puts your time to good use and avoids racking up the minutes on a task that carries with it a flat rate that is barely worth your while. When you return to your original work, you’ll have a refreshed mind that’s ready to get the job done.

5. Group jobs by topic: If you are fortunate enough to have several writing tasks that have related topics, try to group them together. This will often help you get more done faster because your mind is already on the topic. You’ll get some jobs done ahead of schedule while making the most efficient use of your time.

6. Use shorthand: Especially if you’re taking notes at a lecture or a press conference, you’ll save a lot of time if you develop a way to write or type thoughts faster. This way you’ll spend less time filling in gaps when preparing your final copy.

7. Get control of your research time: If you’re not careful, you can spend more time on your research than is necessary especially if the topic interests you personally. Set some time limits and do your research in an orderly manner.

8. Organize your research: If you’re working online, you can easily become overwhelmed with too many open browser windows and tabs. Try using Google Notebook or Evernote to keep all your links and documents sorted so you can find them easily when it’s time to create your finished product.

9. Use an orderly writing process: Sometimes writers want to save time by jumping straight to the final copy stage of writing, trying to outline, distill, and edit all at the same time. This often makes your efforts take longer because you didn’t take the time to establish a logical flow. By doing it all at once, you have to go back anyway because you left things out or have presented your material in an illogical manner. Your mind will play tricks on you to make you think you can cut corners, but in the end there’s no substitute for an orderly process.

10. Avoid distractions: Your personal circumstances may make it difficult to find a place and time to write that is free of distractions, but there are some things you can do to improve things. Find a quiet place to work, or go to the library so you can concentrate. Fewer distractions will almost always result in getting more work done.

Writers are special people that do amazing work that often pays more in pleasure than in income. Use these 10 techniques that will improve your writing speed to increase your productivity and income and leave you more time for other important things in your life.

This post was contributed by James Adams who covers technology developments and reviews new hardware products such as the CLI-521 for an online supplier of ink cartridges based in England.

Regardless of how much you love your job, there will always be times when you have trouble motivating yourself to work. It happens to everyone from time to time. And, during the slow times, you’re able to slack off a bit. However, a too-relaxed attitude begins to cause waves when a deadline is looming and you have a project to finish.

Use these seven tips to help you to meet any deadline:

1. Slow and steady wins the race. Unless you’re dealing with a last-minute project, it’s likely that you’re given adequate notice about the deadline. Break each project into manageable increments and chip away at the project one manageable step at a time.

* When you break a large project down into manageable steps, you increase your chances of successfully meeting your deadline exponentially. In fact, if you work at your project consistently instead of rushing to complete it at the last minute, you’ll likely be able to turn in high quality work well before the deadline.

2. Create measurable goals. Working towards a deadline without measurable goals is like trying to lose 10 pounds in a month without checking the scale. Create predefined daily goals that allow you to receive feedback on your progress.

* Provide further incentives for your efforts by indulging in a small reward (like a cappuccino) each day you meet a goal. The incentive may give you the extra boost of motivation you need to stay on pace to meet your deadline.

3. Overestimate the timeline. Rarely does a project run according to plan. There are always unanticipated obstacles to overcome. If you anticipate that you’ll need three days to complete a project, tell your boss or client that you’ll need four or five days instead.

* If you do happen to complete the project before your quoted deadline, your employer or client will likely appreciate that you’ve “gone the extra mile” in order to turn the project in before it was due.

4. Hold yourself accountable. A strong sense of accountability is 50% of the battle in meeting deadlines. You’ve made a commitment to turn the material in by a certain date; it’s your responsibility to ensure that you turn it in by the agreed upon deadline. When you’re tempted to procrastinate, remind yourself about the consequences of being deemed unreliable.

5. Put yourself in your client’s or employer’s shoes. Let’s say you’re getting married and you hire a bakery to create your wedding cake. If the bakery stated that your cake would be at the reception site by 3:00pm, you’d expect to see your cake by the agreed upon time, right? You’re counting on that cake, and its late arrival can ruin your wedding day.

* In the same way, you’re providing a service that someone is counting on. Depending on the task, you could cost your company or client thousands of dollars by not meeting your deadline.

6. Let it burn. If you tend to procrastinate, get the job done by lighting a fire under yourself. Do whatever you must to motivate yourself to get moving and stay moving. And generally, the more you have to lose, the more motivation you’ll find to meet your deadline.

* Tell your wife she can spend every dime of your paycheck on a shoe shopping trip if you turn in your work later than the agreed upon deadline. If you lose, you’ll definitely learn a valuable lesson.

7. Offer a discount. In your contract, include a clause that states that the client will be granted a 10% discount if the material is turned in after the agreed upon deadline. This will give your clients peace of mind, and it’ll motivate you to meet your deadlines so that you’re compensated fairly.

Whether you’re a business owner, contractor, or employee, your livelihood depends on your ability to efficiently meet deadlines. Therefore, learning how to meet any and all deadlines you encounter is a key factor in maintaining a successful career.

Every writer experiences writer’s block from time to time. However, writers aren’t the only creative professionals that encounter mental blocks. Graphic designers, artists, and chefs also suffer from creative mental blocks occasionally.

The good news is that you don’t have to lose an entire day’s work due to a pesky creativity block. By implementing the tips below, you’ll be able to tear down the dam and allow your creative juices to flow freely.

1. Go for a run. Or a hike. Or mow your lawn. As a creative professional, you likely spend too much of your time cooped up in your studio. Break that habit by seeking inspiration in the beautiful gifts of nature.

* The secret to abolishing your creative block is to get out into the great outdoors and get your adrenaline pumping.

2. Freestyle. If you obstruct your creative process by being too rigid or expecting too much too soon, you’ll send your creative juices into hideout indefinitely. Release the pressure and allow your mind to freely express itself.

* Paint an abstract painting using colors you generally never use. Choose a topic that’s close to your heart and just write the words that come to your mind without editing. Or, doodle in your notepad until an image is just right for your design.

3. Seek inspiration. Every creative professional has an industry hero. For a copywriter, it may be Gary Halbert. A stationary designer may enjoy the work of Nicole Balch. Browse through your hero’s portfolio and become inspired to create your own work.

4. Change the scenery. Your office may be the cause of your creative block. After sitting in the same chair day after day, it can certainly take its toll on your ability to produce. Head to a coffee shop, park, or bookstore for a rush of energy that’ll inspire you to create!

* Consider going to a mom and pop coffee shop rather than a franchise. Coffee houses like Starbucks and Panera Bread can be quite noisy and distracting.

5. Release your inhibitions. Many times, the fear of failure or creating something that isn’t top notch is the only barrier between you and success. Let your insecurities fall by the wayside and create a masterpiece that is divine in your eyes.

* If the piece you create fails to meet your client’s or your boss’ expectations, that’s okay. Nine times out of ten, you’ll be given a second chance.

6. Ask for an extension on your deadline. No client likes to receive material beyond the agreed upon deadline. However, many clients will understand an occasional delay.

* Timeliness is certainly important. However, sometimes an additional week will enable you to produce superb quality work.

* Keep in mind that you’re being compensated for your talents because you possess a valuable skill. Allow this understanding to fuel your confidence.

Creative blocks are like pesky little summer gnats. You can put screens in your windows to keep them out, but a few always find a way to break through the netting. In much the same way, you have little say in when or where your mental blocks appear. All you can do is try to work through them, and strengthen your skills in the interim.

After a relaxing summer vacation, when it’s time to get back into the swing of work life, it can be hard to get motivated. You no longer feel like you have something fun to look forward to in the near future. But just because the vacation is over, it doesn’t mean you can’t continue to enjoy your life.

Follow these eight tips to ease back into the work week after your time off:

1. Plan your time off. Just because you’re back to work doesn’t mean that you need to make your life all about work. You should still have plenty of free time that you can plan out and enjoy to the fullest. Plan a fun evening for yourself or your family. You can even plan for a weekend trip somewhere in the near future.

2. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes, coming back to work can be overwhelming because there’s so much to do. Your mind may race through all the things you’ll need to accomplish over the next few weeks. That’ll make your thoughts unbearable and you’ll definitely long for the vacation that just ended.

* Instead, focus on one day at a time or even one moment at a time. Your work will get done, no matter how overwhelming it seems. And there will still be time for fun, too.

3. Organize your life on the first day back. When you first get back to work, spend a day “spring cleaning.” If you have a desk job, organize your computer files as well as your desk. This can help you feel a sense of accomplishment, while also clearing the clutter.

4. Do a few half days if you can afford it. If you still have vacation days left, you can ask your employer if it’s okay to do a couple of half days to transition yourself back to work. This way, you can start slowly when getting back into the work mentality. You’ll still have portions of your day that you can plan for yourself and your family.

5. Start planning your next trip early. Even if your next trip is far into the future, you can still dream about what it’ll be like. There are many benefits to planning early. When you book a trip early, you can take advantage of early bird discounts. Those who know what they want early will be there to grab the best deals.

6. Go somewhere special for lunch. On your first day back, plan a special lunch for yourself. You don’t have to delve immediately into the usual routine. Pack a special lunch or treat yourself to a meal at a restaurant you love.

7. Make a vacation scrapbook in your free time. Remember the good times you had on vacation by using your free time to make a scrapbook. You can do this after work or on weekends. It’s a great way to keep your vacation going in your mind.

8. Focus on what you like about your job. If transitioning back to work is turning out to be more difficult that you thought it would be, it might be because you’re focusing on the negative aspects of your job. Even people who have their dream jobs will tell you that there are certain things they simply don’t like. Strive to have a more positive mentality and focus on what you do like about your job.

Vacation time will be here again before you know it. Learn to enjoy your life no matter what time of year it is. Make the most of each moment by seeking ways to sprinkle that vacation mentality into every ordinary day.

When you’re on a blissful vacation, getting back into the 9-to-5 grind is likely the last thing on your mind. However, once you’re faced with getting back into the office, the once seemingly simple tasks can seem more difficult than climbing Mount Everest while wearing just a pair of Crocs.

Luckily, by taking preventative measures while still on vacation, you can avoid the post vacation brain fog.

1. Adjust your mindset. After a relaxing vacation, coming back to a larger than normal workload can be stressful and discouraging. Make it a point to maintain a positive mindset to plow through your workload with ease.

* Most people psyche themselves out about going back to work while on vacation. Choose to focus your mind on the positive things about your return; it’ll keep you in a positive frame of mind well beyond your return.

* Be thankful for your job. Spend time each day thinking about all of the financial blessings you receive from your job. Think about what excites you about your job. Be thankful for your job security, your living situation, and your ability to indulge in a yearly vacation.

* Hold yourself accountable. As a professional, it’s important to hold yourself accountable for your own results. Strive for excellence in everything that you do for the company. Your days will be more rewarding and you’ll gain respect from your employer when you go the extra mile. The extra effort will swallow your negative emotions about coming back.

2. Keep your caffeine habit. Generally, there are healthier alternatives to fuel your body than caffeine. However, coffee may make the transition back to work more comfortable. Seek to change your work routine as little as possible until you’re back in the swing of things. If you’re used to that cup of coffee in the mornings, give yourself permission to indulge.

3. Mix business with pleasure. Take part in leisurely activities that relate to your industry while away. You’ll keep your “work brain” up and running.

* Now, bringing a full load of paperwork along is unfair to both you and your family. However, bringing a work related self-help book along in order to brush up on your skills can help you recharge and stay career motivated at the same time.

4. Keep the vacation alive. Part of the lure of a vacation is that you’re free to do as you please. Nonetheless, with a bit of strategic planning, you can keep the spirit of your vacation alive by enjoying similar leisure activities on weekends long after you return to work.

* Have margaritas with dinner occasionally. Tan privately on your patio. Ask your partner for a massage once in a while. And, enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you. If you look around you, you’ll find that total relaxation can be experienced everywhere!

Work often seems like the end of the fun part of your year. But if you implement these tips and keep an open mind, you can harness the excitement and happiness of your vacation and bring it into your everyday life. All it takes is a little flexibility and an understanding that you deserve to feel happy every day of the year.