Vision Boards and Goals - Every day can be the time to set goals

Every new year brings the opportunity for a fresh start and smash those goals. But every minute, every hour, every day can be the time to set goals, dream big and work towards a life you love.

365 days equals 365 opportunities for you to create the life you really want.

We all tend to start the year with ambitious New Year's Resolutions in mind. But having big dreams is only the first step on your journey. It's just as important to put a plan in place and set little habits every day that will help get you there. The choices you make every single day have the power to drive change and make a really big impact. Be and create the energy you want to attract!

Dreaming is always the first step to doing.  Creating a Vision Board could just be your guide to the year ahead.

Creating a space that displays what you want actually does bring it to life. What we focus on expands. When you create a vision board and place it in a space where you see it often, you essentially end up doing short visualization exercises throughout the day.

“Your brain will work to achieve the statements you give your subconscious mind. And when those statements are the affirmations and images of your goals, you are destined to achieve them!”

Visualization is one of the most powerful mind exercises you can do. The law of attraction is forming your entire life experience and it is doing that through your thoughts. Whether you believe that or not, we know that visualization works.

So, what’s the big secret to creating a vision board that works? It’s simple: Your vision board should focus on how you want to feel, not just on things that you want. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to include the material stuff, too. However, the more your board focuses on how you want to feel, the more it will come to life.

There is only one major rule to creating a vision board that works, and it’s that there aren’t any rules. You aren’t going to mess it up, you can create your vision board on your own terms. Here are the answers to the most common questions people ask:

Q: What should I put on my vision board?

A: Anything that inspires and motivates you. The purpose of your vision board is to bring everything on it to life. First, think about what your goals are in the following areas: relationships, career and finances, home, travel, personal growth (including spirituality, social life, education) and health.

You don’t have to cover each area exactly the same, just take a mental inventory of what you want each of those areas to look like and write them down. Always handwrite your goals instead of typing them, there’s something energetic about actually handwriting your goals. From your goals and aspirations, think about what you want on your vision board. Like I said before, what you focus on expands. You’ll be amazed at how things just start popping up all over the place once you set the intention for what you want and how you want to feel.

Q: Should I have one main vision board, or a bunch of small ones for different areas of my life?

A: It’s totally up to you. What makes the most sense in your life? You could have one central vision board that you look at every day in your home office, and have a few small ones around the home or office space. Each area of our lives affect each other, so starting with one central vision board usually makes sense. Theme boards that center on specific events or areas of your life are great too

Q: How often should I re-do my vision board?

A: Whenever it feels right. You might want to leave blank space on your vision board so you can accept new things as they appear in my life, then add and rearrange during the year when you feel it. You’ll just know.

Once you’ve clarified your vision and made your vision board, your job is simply to look at it often, and trust that the Universe will provide you with the opportunities to manifest each and every thing you truly desire. Hold these images in your awareness on a regular basis, and say “Yes!” when opportunities present themselves to make your dreams come to life. As you come up with new ideas and inspirations, feel free to add to it at any time. Your vision board should be a flexible and fluid representation of your desires as they shift and morph throughout your life. In fact, it’s recommended that you create a completely new vision board every 6 to 12 months to be sure it’s current, inspiring, and up-to-date with your values and priorities.

Your vision board doesn’t need to be perfect and can certainly be a work in progress. Each person’s vision board will be unique and individual, so try not to compare to others or judge the outcome. Have fun, be open and willing, and see what happens! The Universe might just surprise you.

Start your Vision Board today… Have a look at the range of Boards available on workspacedirect and get started!

The Importance of Good Acoustics in a Successful Office

Good or bad acoustics have a significant impact on productivity, employee satisfaction, and health in your workspace.

The ways in which we work are more varied than ever before, but are you providing the right sound environment to ensure health, success and productivity?

Unwanted sound, or noise, is a major consideration in workplaces where employees function in close proximity, often with different expectations and needs regarding sound control in the work space.

The effects of poor acoustics in a work place can mean decreased productivity, errors, inefficient use of resources, and ultimately, worsened financial performance. From the perspective of the staff, uncontrolled noise can increase stress levels.

Noise is probably the most prevalent annoyance source in offices, and can lead to increased stress for workers

Why workplaces are becoming nosier?

A combination of factors has resulted in workplaces becoming noisier in the past decade including:

Workplaces ‘opening up’ and encouraging greater mobility and communication between employees
The focus on teams and groups collaborating in the workplace
Workstation densities increasing and workstation areas decreasing
Wireless technologies making it possible for employees to work in any location within the workplace
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment (HVAC) becoming so quiet that it no longer provides enough white noise to adequately mask office conversation.

The importance of reducing noise in the workplace

It is so important that work space design actively reduces the impact of noise for staff. In Australia, an important contribution to receiving the highest Green Star accreditation (six stars) is to manage the sound (or noise) within a workspace – both internal and external sounds. From an employee perspective, if we can reduce noise we can increase acoustic comfort and promote positive employee and work effectiveness outcomes (such as reducing stress and increasing concentration).

Research demonstrates that workplaces should aim to provide ‘non-intrusive privacy’ to minimise conversational distractions and increase conversation privacy.

The design of office interiors has changed considerably.  In the millennial age, private offices virtually disappeared and in their place open and collaborative spaces have been added. This new style of work environment is almost expected by graduating high school and university students because they were born during this shift and are conditioned to work in these spaces, but what about those who were not conditioned?

Most modern offices have spaces dedicated for collaborative work, with small huddle spaces dedicated for conferencing and more private work. These collaborative work areas, designed for group interaction and discussion, can often be a source of high levels of noise which can then travel to other parts of the work space and interrupt those doing more private work. Another issue to look at is if you have multi-generational office spaces, those accustom to higher partitions and quieter work spaces may not work as well in a more open spaces.

At workspacedirect we offer many acoustic solutions for various spaces in your business. There are endless possibilities for applying these acoustic products in your offices spaces.  Visually Acoustics product are now art pieces for your office that add more acoustic benefits.

We encourage “energetic and lively” work places, in fact we love them! But sound control is major consideration when designing or modifying your offices.

Contact our team today to discuss Office Acoustic options specifically for your work space and issues.

Bullet Journaling

Guest Blogger: Jackie Anderson

Hi there

To quickly introduce myself, my name’s Jackie and I’m an ecommerce manager by trade, specializing in B2B ecommerce environments. My whole career revolves around trading online; developing systems, integrating data, worrying about hosting and bandwidth and ensuring online stores are available 24/7.

So how do I keep myself sane, productive and focused while doing this as well as striving for that overall work / life balance – well, I do it with my trusty notebook and pen!

Yep, even though I’m an “online guru” I am proud to say I’m a “Bullet Journalist”

Over the years I’ve tried many ways to keep myself organized using applications like Evernote and Trello or Outlook tasks and iphone Notes. I’ve tried a whole range of solutions that promised to make my life easier all but I always gravitated back to my trusty notebook and pen.

There are many articles and TED talks out there explaining why writing things down is better for you than typing but for me personally it comes down to these three things:

• I love stationery – always have done! I like getting new pens that write really well and there’s something special about starting a brand new notebook. It just makes me happy. 
• I’m a visual learner and thinker. As well as writing notes, I like to draw; connecting dots in a process, generating mindmaps as I think things through or just doodling as I weigh up the pros and cons of a decision. Its not quite the same on an electronic device.
• I can remember where I put things! As much as I try to be organized in Evernote and Outlook, once things are out of sight they are out of mind – with a notebook a quick flick through and I’m back on track!

I’ve used notepads and pens for many years but last year it was a bit of a revelation when I came across the website www.bulletjournal.com; a site dedicated to an analogue productivity framework developed by Ryder Carrol; himself a digital product designer. The Bullet Journal concept uses nothing more than the trusty notebook and pen but gives you a way of structuring your daily to do lists, your general notes and your calendar in a way that makes a lot more sense. Some people keep their journals very minimalistic and others use it as a way to really unleash their creativity.

Everything is tied together in your Bullet Journal using an Index and a Key; symbols that denote what everything means.

Here is a video explaining how it all comes together. Watch the Video

I started implementing the suggestions and I can honestly say that today I am more organized and productive than I have ever been. There is something very satisfying in ticking off completed tasks from your to do list! I have made it a habit to spend about 10 minutes every night updating my journal. As well as planning my tasks for the next day, I make notes of anything that is “swirling around my head” whether it is business related, bills that have to be paid, meal plans or even ideas for Christmas presents; I’ve come to learn that if it goes down on paper I don’t have to think about it until the appropriate time which has led to better quality sleep and ultimately a lot less stress. It’s an analogue system in my electronic world that definitely works for me.

In the last year or so, Bullet Journaling has reached “cult like” status with articles appearing in publications from Vogue to the Washington Post. As I check today there are over 750k Instagram posts containing pictures of people’s bullet journal styles and there are Facebook groups galore; Bullet Journal Junkies, Bullet Journal Minimalists even Bullet Journaling just for Guys. Whatever style you prefer, there will be a group to inspire you!

And Bullet journaling doesn’t cost a fortune to implement, any notebook and pen will do. If you are looking for something of quality though, contact the team at Workspacedirect on email sales@workspacedirect.co.nz about custom printed corporate Moleskine notebooks for your business. Visit the website www.moleskine.com Keep an eye out for future blog posts about why the Moleskine range is so special.

Happy journaling!

Cheers

Jackie

Standing vs Sitting while we work

If you’re reading this, you’re more than likely sitting down. Take a moment to think – how long have you been sat down for this week? Reading, eating, working and writing are among the many activities that we do while sitting down – and it’s not looking good for our general health!

Research states that on average we spend nine hours a day sitting – more than we do sleeping! Most office jobs require us to sit at our desk for the best part of eight hours a day before having to sit while driving home to then spend the evening relaxing on the couch.

Increasing concern on sedentary lifestyles have allowed for finding solutions and options to stand and move while we work.  Studies have claimed major health benefits for standing for much of the day as opposed to sitting. The difference is marked.

Guess how many hours a day you spend sitting?  Fewer than eight? More than 10? A recent survey found that many of us spend up to 12 hours a day sitting on our bottoms looking at computers or watching television. If you throw in the seven hours we spend sleeping then that adds up to a remarkable 19 hours a day being sedentary.

Even if you exercise on a regular basis that may not be enough. There is mounting evidence that exercise will not undo the damage done by prolonged sitting. Our technology has made us the most sedentary humans in history.

Excessive sitting  impacts our body’s metabolic system: “Today, our bodies are breaking down from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression and the cascade of health ills and everyday malaise that come from what scientists have named sitting disease.

Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Research says that people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking.

The obvious remedy to sitting disease is standing—while you compute or do any number of activities.  Standing is like walking: It increases energy burns calories, tones muscles, improves posture, increases blood flow and ramps up metabolism.

As a result, more companies are investing in standing desks for their employees and offering the options to choose whether you sit or stand.

Providing your employees with standing desks could also help increase overall productivity. Standing, instead of sitting at a desk all day, where the temptation of slouching is all too great, could help improve posture as well as overall focus throughout the day. Your employees are also more likely to be more energised and focused. Working at a standing desk provides you and your muscles with more freedom, which aren’t constricted from sitting down.

When using a standing desk your heart will beat considerably faster per beat, which not only will burn more calories, but improve blood circulation and raise blood sugar levels. This can also help improve overall metabolism.

If investing in a standing desk isn’t right for you right now, think about products that you can use with your current fixed sitting desk. The Deskalator is one of our best selling products and customer feedback is overwhelming positive. Available in both Black and white, it is a great alternative. Have a look at the Deskalator here

In the spirit of starting small, here are a few other options to think about to add movement and activity to your work day

Walking meetings. Who said meetings have to be confined to the office or a stuffy room? Grab a notebook, pen and your workmates and hit the streets or office corridors for your meeting.

Get up and move every 20 minutes. New science shows very persuasively that standing up about every 20 minutes, even for only a minute or two, reduces your risks of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Standing Desk Set up

• Monitor should be 20-28 inches away from your eyes with the screen at a 20-degree tilt
• Table height should be at or slightly below elbow height
• Elbows at a 90-degree angle to the keyboard
• Eyes looking slightly down to the monitor

An essential addition to your new standing workspace is the Anti- Fatigue Mat. View our range here.

As more companies make the transition to sit or stand desking Workspacedirect offer a range of either single standing desks or work group sit/stand desks.  Contact us for a meeting and find out how we can move you towards a healthier and more productive work place.

What is Activity Based Working?

ABW (Activity Based Working) provides your people with the power of choice! Choosing from a range of environments or work zones in your office space that best suits the task at hand.  It provides a variety of predetermined activity areas that allow your teams to do specific activities including learning, collaborating, focused work , high concentration work to impromptu informal meetings or more formal meetings and socialising. It is an alternative approach to people undertaking all their work at one setting, such as a fixed desk.

This new way of working is positioned as a team-orientated approach to how we work, which is flexible enough for diverse teams within your business to adapt their allocated home zones to their needs and actions.

ABW recognises that we perform a variety of activities and work places require a variety of work zones or settings to effectively do these activities with the aim of higher productivity and engagement from your team. 

For ABW to be successful, the benefits should be made clear to your people and a new mind-set from a ‘me’ to a ‘we’ that needs to be introduced by leaders.

ABW is a transformational business strategy that seeks to encourage people to physically locate themselves where it is most suitable for them to complete their work. The approach is based on appraising performance through positive business outcomes rather than systems and processes.

The expectations of people now entering the workforce for the first time has also changed.  We now have teenagers born post millennium in the work place. Throughout their time at school and university, the type of space they use has always been determined by the task or activity being undertaken.  If you have children, you just need to watch how they do their school work at home, how they move from different zones in the house depending on the task. Technology has given us and the new generation the flexibility and agility to work anywhere in any space.

There is not a one-size-fits-all concept of an Activity Based Workplace. It is not the same as hot-desking or an open floor plan. The concept can certainly help your organisation evolve.

Benefits

Work anywhere; time and place independent work.

Empowerment; supported by trust results in responsibility.

Open & flexible workspaces; including the right acoustics for each activity.

Flexible working relations; supporting honest and genuine conversations.

Unlimited Digital access & connectivity; digital transformation and paper independence and reduction.

For the ABW to be successful, it must be relevant to the workforce: who they are and what they do at work. ABW is not for every business and is more appropriate for a business that is mobile or looking to adopt and embrace mobility. It might be that you introduce the ABW concept to some of your more appropriate teams or departments?  Think about setting up a pilot space that is set up with the right technology and accommodates various work zones on a smaller scale. This may be the stepping stone to engage your people with the future ways of working.

The workplace that welcomes the ABW way of working celebrates the culture of trust, empowerment and a new type of leadership. Every organisation has different aspirations. Aligning your vision, culture and mission to a new environment and way of working can be a great platform for change. The benefits of an activity based workplace are for its people and in the end for its customers.

To start your Activity Based Working Journey contact us today or have a look at the Motion Range of Office Furniture for inspiration