Fighting Entropy, Our Environment’s Effect on Productivity

I didn’t do any work yesterday, at least, not on Art.

However, I did spend a lot of time cleaning my apartment. What a relief…

My goals require a lot of work to achieve. I have no misconceptions about them. I’m in the business of putting art in people’s hands, and I’m on the long road to making that happen.

I don’t need a messy environment to get in the way.

I’m a slave to my Environment

I’ve become more observant in the last few years of how my environment effects me.

  • I am more likely to open up my computer and write when my desk is clean and orderly.
  • I’m more likely to head out for a morning jog when my workout gear is clean and easily accessible.
  • I am more likely to spend all day printing when I’m not tripping all over stuff laying around my apartment.
  • I am more likely to spend an evening drawing when my drawing pads are accessible, my pencils/pens are organized, and my dry work area is clean
  • I am more likely to make a healthy meal for myself when I have a clean kitchen and a fridge full of food

I work best in clean, minimalist environments. I dream of a desk with a computer, pen, pencil, pad of paper, and nothing else. There is a strange contradiction within me, however, because I have tons of stuff. I collect and accumulate stuff like crazy. Pens, unopened mail, electronics equipment, scraps of paper, plastic silverware, books, CDs, comics, you name it. It’s just hard wired into me, and happens unconsciously.

On top of my penchant for accumulating stuff, entropy seems to be a little stronger in my life than usual. Entropy is, of course, the Thermodynamic phenomenon that makes everything becomes less organized and more chaotic, unless a certain amount of work is done to keep it together.

Entropy. Lucky me.

I’ve got enough on my plate. Two full time jobs (one of which has a paycheck). In addition, a few other big initiatives in my life that aren’t quite relevant to this site.

The real lesson here is that spending all day cleaning is working, just not in a direct way. It is work at being able to work better in the future.

It is an investment in a healthy environment. An environment that will encourage my work, rather than inhibit it. An environment that makes it easier, and more enjoyable to work. An environment that speaks success to me.

Our environments, after all, are always talking to us. Our environment tells us who we are, how successful we are, what we do with our time, and what we should think of ourselves.

I for one want an environment that pushes me in the direction of success, that is specifically designed to do so. I need an environment designed to subtly turn and direct me to do and feel the right things.

Like all things of value in life, this takes work to keep in place. The work will pay you back though.

Are you creating Assets or Liabilities?

Like everyone, I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and learned the difference between an asset and a liability. The idea of assets and liabilities applies to environment, but in an emotional way. Your environment can be an emotional asset, providing support, and good feelings when you work, or it can be a liability, hindering your ability to work, and providing bad feelings when working.

I’m not talking about anything “woo” here, I’m talking about really practical, basic stuff. Is the desk you work on clean, and easy to work at, or is your mouse covered with crap, and you always have to move stuff out of the way to get work done?

Is your apartment/house clean? Or are you distracted by the fact that the dishes aren’t done and you need to do laundry if you want to wear clean clothes tomorrow?

My old printmaking station didn’t work well for me. It was small, and even more detracting, it was too low. I am tall, so standing up and working on a surface 30 inches off the ground doesn’t work for me. When I got a new printmaking work station, my workplace became an asset that encourages work.

For nearly everything that requires work, we can create an environment that promotes productivity and getting that work done. My experience is that if I don’t actively work to make my environment an asset, entropy will take over, and it will work against me.

Have you worked your environment to make it aid you and your goals? Make you more productive? Need some help with this? Leave a comment and let me know!

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12 Responses to “Fighting Entropy, Our Environment’s Effect on Productivity”

  1. Dave Doolin says:

    You know, I get this, and I used to be much the same way… but the deadlines I’m running on at the moment are inducing massive entropy at Dos Palmas.

    Not good.

    But I can hammer my way through it anyway. Just don’t like it.
    .-= Dave Doolin´s last blog post ..Top 10 Traits for Finding Your League of Extraordinary Bloggers – Saturday Morning Surfing =-.

  2. Deacon says:

    Short term, I can let entropy run it’s course. Long term, I need to keep this locked down.
    .-= Deacon´s last blog post ..Fighting Entropy, Our Environment’s Effect on Productivity =-.

  3. Hi Deacon,

    Found your blog through Carlos’s Pre-Writing Challenge posts. I’m not participating, but I’m rooting for all of you! And getting inspired, somewhere in the back of my mind. That inspiration’ll move forefront at some point, and I’ll start some pre-writing of my own, ’cause that’s just how I roll. :o)

    Anyway, couple of thoughts I’ve had while poking around on your site:

    One, I can relate to the creativity thing. I’ve discovered that no matter what wonderful things are going on in my life, I’m never happy/content/satisfied unless I’m creating something. With me, that’s usually something written or something painted.

    Two, I can’t write at my desk unless it’s organized. Not because I feel the distracting urge to straighten things, but because it literally blocks the flow of creativity. I sit down to write, and if the desk isn’t organized, a big ol’ writer’s block slams down in my mind.

    Unfortunately, my reaction is not to clean the desk. I just pick up the laptop and move somewhere else. ;oD

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reminding me of how much I benefit from maintaining some semblance of order!

    Courtney

  4. Nicki says:

    Ah, I so need to spend a day not getting paid but cleaning.
    .-= Nicki´s last blog post ..My First =-.

  5. Thomas says:

    Great points! Especially about liabilities and assets. I know dirt and clutter slow me down so I’m always trying to keep things clean and organized; however, I have to admit I’m not always on top of it. Maybe I’ll check out that rich dad poor dad book for some pointers:)
    .-= Thomas´s last blog post ..Magento Email Templates =-.

  6. Kelly Diels says:

    I work at home and I find that if my place is a cluttered or disorderly, it occupies too much space in my mind. I have to deal with THAT rather than the things that reward me, creatively and financially. A mess means I’m not prepared to work.

    And yet…when I’m really, really busy with paid work OR on fire, creatively, I don’t have enough time or even the inclination to do anything about it. (I keep thinking about “outsourcing” the cleaning but am too cheap ahem frugal and I have this mental block that it makes me a lazy, privileged princess-type.)

    Which is why after a deep-cleaning this weekend, I took pictures of my pristine house. So I can remember the calm the next time I’m in a storm.

  7. tiven says:

    This just reminds me that I really, really, really need to clean my office. And the rest of my house.

  8. wendy says:

    interesting post, so much of what you say is very informal and could help loads of people

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