Your living wall

I’ve blogged a lot about office serenity and calm.  I have a passion for creating order in spaces. With order there is better creative flow, enhanced productivity and happiness with the work at hand.  When your office is in order, work almost feels – fun.

One of the things I think every office can benefit from is what I call a living wall.

This wall is in a place to put things that help you do your best work and live your best life – now.  It’s a bulletin board of sorts to put things that you need to operate your office, your business, your day-to-day.  If you are working from home or have a home office this living wall might contain different items than what your living wall at work would. But in either or both places this wall can be a real mood lifter and a great mind organizer.

Life is fluid.

Things are always changing and with it, it seems there are always pieces of paper and post it reminders that come along with all these changes.  And many of these we need to keep – for a day or 10.  This is where your living wall can help.  You can put your to do list, your work schedule, your kids’ sports schedules and school calendars on it.  It can contain any piece of reference paper whether it is frequently used passwords or the step-by-step guide on logging into your blog.

It’s your wall and you should put things up that are needed and useful – now.  And it can and should change as your needs and responsibilities change. Kind of like…life.

There are a few key tips you need to remember with this living wall:

• Hang it in a place where you can easily reach it and see the items.  This will make it easy for you to add to it or take down items when it is time.
• On a regular basis purge the items that are outdated, or aren’t needed any longer.
• Keep on the wall the things that pertain to that area of the house. The office might have inspirational ideas, quotes, notes, and important to dos on it. But receipts for the dry cleaner or permission slips for school might be better on a living wall in the kitchen or mudroom,

If used well, this living wall can be an excellent source for reminders and help you save time with finding key papers and information that are appropriate for the vision of your space. 

Have fun with it, too!  I like to use my bulletin board in my office not only for important papers like the ones mentioned above but also as a place to put items that boost my mood. I have quotes that motivate me and sayings that remind me about what life is all about and how to live it happy and well.

Along the way you will stumble, and perhaps even fall; but that, too, is normal and to be expected.  Get up, back on your feet, chastened by wiser, and continue down the road.” Arthur Ashe

Quite appropriate for a living wall, don’t you think?

Do you have a bulletin board in your office or in the house? What kinds of things do you put on it?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!