Getting your pastoral life organisedPosts in this series
Being organised means removing obstacles that hinder and slow you down as you work for the Lord each day.
The initial steps I have outlined on becoming organised have focused more on how to organise your head.
But you can also be slowed down by disorganised physical objects. Thus organising your physical working environment is of vital importance if you are going to redeem every moment you can for the Lord.
Matt Perman at his blog What's Best Next has a series of posts providing advice on setting up your desk. Rather than plagiarise his excellent material here, I advise you to head over there and read all of his posts.
But I should mention a few points of his points that I found particularly helpful.
Do not position your desk with your back to the door
Perman writes: ''Having your back to the door is also to be avoided, because as Organizing for Dummies points out so well, “many a worker can vouch that this placement … makes you susceptible to scares when people walk up behind you” (190). This is called “cubicle paranoia.” This being susceptible to scares is also called “cubicle paranoia.” Also, having your back to the door is less welcoming.'
I think this is particularly important for pastors who may be working in large buildings with nobody much around, but where many people have access with their own keys.
A few years ago I worked with my back to the door. And I realised only after reading this point that every time I heard a sound, I would quickly turn around to see if someone was at the door or had entered the office and was trying to get my attention. Usually nobody was there but the momentary turning of my whole body around to look interrupted my work.
Now, having turned my desk to face the door, I subconsciously know that if someone is there I will see them in my peripheral vision so I don't think I even notice noises any longer. Meaning my workflow continues without interruption.
Clear space is good
Perman writes: 'Likewise, no desk organizer-things. And pen and pencil cups are unnecessary. If you really like them they can work fine, but really it works great to have just one pen and one (mechanical) pencil on your desk, laying flat, and the rest in drawers.'
And: 'Do not aim to occupy every fragment of space. A desk is for working, not storing stuff. So be a minimalist when it comes to what you have on your desk permanently.'
Amen.
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