Desk Goals Decor by watereverysunday (Copyright©)
Hello New Year and January! How is your new year going so far everyone?
I know I am fashionably late for posting this in mid January but pardon me please because technically, it is still the first month. That said, it is again that time of the year when everyone gets an opportunity for a brand new start! Can you imagine a world without new year or January? We will never have a time to start something new or restart something that we must move on from. It is like receiving a yearly pardon for any sins and crimes that we committed each year from "Time", the forgettable(?) or the ever-ticking.
All said, Let's start something new such as new goals for a brand new year! In order to get you into that planning mode and practical new year's resolution kind, let's go over your desk because your desk represents how you work. It does not matter whether you have your own desk at home or work, if you work from home or just homebound. Maybe you work from a dining or coffee table. However you work, you should still consider having a designated desk/section for your project such as DIY crafts, cooking recipes, photo stations for SM posting, content creation or hobbies etc. or anything that you just love or you always want to try one day. You never know, one day this will turn into your real work. How to do this? Let's talk.
*Interestingly, this blog was intended for Desk Decor in pink and gold but as I started writing it has turned into a blog about personal goals. Still I am posting this under the Decor section. I took this as a force of nature. Still there is no unstoppable reason for you not to decorate your desk in pink and gold. It's pretty.. So just Do it.
There is an interesting closing talents story and thought at the end of the blog so please read until the end…..
DESK GOALS
H O W T O
DESIGNATE DESK/AREA
If you already have a desk. You are already half way done. If not, find a space for it. The desk or the area doesn't need to be big or fancy or where it is located in your place, could be a small corner of living room, bedroom, basement etc that is separately from other functions but a beautiful/pretty area where you can easily notice to instantly make you feel better (this is as simple feeling as you see cute puppies, pretty bag and shoes in the store etc), tastefully expressed in/of yourself to remind yourself that you did this! and why and what of your goals.
In a small room
Image Source: Pinterest - maisondepax.com
in a corner of living room
Image Source: Pinterest - maisondepax.com
One of the Bookshelf!
Image Source: Pinterest - dorisleslieblau.com
Communal & multi-function table
Image Source: Pinterest - lushhome
CLEAN & TIDY UP
Sometimes when my desk is messy, I have a headache, get more stressed and start hating everything in my life because it directly reflects my current state of mind or project that I'm working on. It also affects my performance (whichever this means). Spending short minutes to tidy it up immediately improves and reflow things and set the tone for the day. Maybe this is why all kinds of traditional masters (?) start their day with cleaning.
Do not spend a chunk of time on cleaning and tidying up unless you have the time and doing like Spring cleaning. Make this step as part of daily tasks. Also no need to emotionally dwell on penalizing yourself regarding the mess. After all, life is a mess but those messes that we make show that we are actively living and doing something, and how we clear them out is also what makes our lives more eventful with valuable lessons learned. Otherwise, you are just standing still like a living doll and collecting dust alongside your dusty desk. In fact, you would be surprised how dusty this world is and how much dust your room gets after a day.
When the clutter is overwhelming us, we get demotivated. In order to get off from that status quo is simply by "just do it". Maybe don't even think about it. Do quick dusting and scanning to categorize items, get a clutter box to collect loose items in short minutes to clear from your view and concentrate on clearing the main area first. Your focus or task here is clearing out not yet placement. Then, go back to the clutter when you have more time, less stress or when you need something from it.
If you are the laziest of all people. Sometimes, trashing 10 things per day or cleaning round rules could work. Just going around the house and collecting 10 things that are immediately trash-able without much thinking would kickstart you into an action mode. Here again, do not spend more than 10-15 minutes on this task.
Image Source: Pinterest - food52.com
ORGANIZE & DECORATE
Now that you have a clean canvas, place things you like and must-haves. Well organized desk is just like your personal assistant, also making you feel capable and efficient. Let it be everyday tasks or paperworks, this area also can work as a stationary station. This is also your personal space where you can take a break such as having a cup of coffee and tea, read, write or craft. When you are at a desk, people typically do not bother you because they assume you are working(?). Taking a break also improves your efficiency by recharging. That said, make your desk area colorful and cheerful. If you are a minimalist and love scandinavian style, use some accent items to un-bore your work environment. Be playful and add items in different texture, pattern and color that pops. Use frames on the wall and floor to fill the area. After all, you are decorating your desk, not just cleaning and work.
Wall mount or book shelf instantly look organized
Image Source: Pinterest - Emily A Clark
Clear pencil containers works both as decor and organization
Image Source: Pinterest - theeverygirl.com
Can you imagine this without the chunky blanket?
Image Source: Pinterest - etsy me
Image Source: Pinterest - thehousethatlarsbuilt.com
START SMALL & STAY SMALL
Most of the time people say, you start small and build big, or dream big and start small whichever you heard of. You can certainly have big goals and dreams, but as for cleaning, organizing and your yearly goals or daily tasks, you plan and keep them small, just focus on the tasks at hand and at a time. If your current tasks fail you can't move onto the next level, simply put just like your phone games (we all play them, right?)… So before you get so many game-overs, review and replay with something learned from the current tasks so you can move onto a next level. As your small goals and milestones are achieved, you make the next plans. Otherwise, if you dream too big without learning and hone your skills, your dream is just an imagination and out of your league. No one jumps without walking first and big jumps do need a lot of practice. And never forget your initial vision, purpose or reason for your goals which is what keeps you going, and how you started and got there basically is yours only and becomes your own story.
*No idea there was book title under this phrase. I am planning to read this…. This book could be also what you need for your goal and dream.
TRACK PROGRESS & KEEP GOING
Keeping personal planners or journals close by does help track your progress as it is something that you can physically hold and write on it. The moment you put down your vision out of your head to a physical form, your planted seed will start seeding and manifesting (I have not read or watched Secret but I believe it is true). But it is also true that a lot of times, we found our journals empty for months and even at the end of year because we forgot to act on it. This is why there is a saying, a good start is half the work done.
Once you start, It is important that you keep in track of your progress how little that is and have the record of progression somewhere visibly noticeable, in relatively full display so that you are easily reminded and motivated by it. This is why we have big wall calendars, bar graphs and checklists. This is a pure psychology based on the fact that you excel when you compete, or have a workout buddy to keep up with or encouraged by. So compete with your bar graph, Siri or AI or work with them. No buddies to work with? Let Siri or Alexa to remind you on your progress or milestone achievements. Keeping a record of what you did or will do reminds of how much you've progressed and grown whether you actually did or failed to do, or even act on it. Believe or not, all are part of your growth.
Image Source: Pinterest - itboylifestyle
CHANGE OF PLAN & GROWTH
Things just happen just like everyday life and we need to change our plans, tasks or tools whatever remedy or adapting required to progress towards our goals. We need to understand that goals and plans are two different things. Goals are the final destination and plans are how you get there therefore, you and others could have the same goals but how you get there could be quite a different story. There are also saying, things happen for a reason so if things require a change of plan, do not deny it or think of it as a bad omen. It could be a blessing in disguise. Go with the flow and follow the white rabbit!
Image Source: Pinterest
Other than that, in your practical mode, if your project is time sensitive, this is a must step to save your goals or projects. Simply put, as for your desk, you can reorganize the desk as you need, remove not-working or underperforming tools and introduce new ones etc. Revising, readjust your initial tasks to eliminate any obstacles and roadblocking items in the way and add new tasks that enable you to reach your goals. It is also possible that you have to redo some of your past tasks because it was not done properly at the first time. Make it a good and thorough one so we don't need to redo again.
Now, without growth and continuous improvement, you might not progress as you planned or expected and you will get either stuck in a rut or burn out. As any work or project progresses, you need to periodically evaluate and revisit your original plan and its progress. Review what went well and wrong, correct and adapt new plans, ways or methods to maximize your progression and growth.
Growth Definition Print download - Littlesizzle.com
Make a rest day or break plan as part of your plan. You need to rest and recharge so that you don't burn out. You can use this time for cleaning or review of your progress.
Sunday Checklist Cross Stitch Pattern etsy.com
CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENT
What would be the reason for achieving goals without celebration? How to celebrate? Cross them out!! (I found this to be most satisfying), write a good job and thank you note to yourself or someone you want to celebrate this with, and display the achievement or work at your desk area. Give yourself yummy cakes or a glass of wine. Most of all, write new goals! Now that you achieved something, what's stopping you?
Image Source: Pinterest
No matter how little or big your goals are - daily, weekly, monthly, years or life goals, your desk can help you achieve them. So have your desk set up or reset while the new year is still fresh. You might have a lot of things you didn't do in the past years but this might be the year where your dreams come true.
So just do it!
*Wow finishing this blog post was a small goal for me because it took me 2 weeks to complete because I fidget and edit every time I get back to it or always something happens preventing me from finishing it. You get this?
SHOP THE LOOK
*We are not affiliated with any product/company/brand/website featured in this blog post other than our own.
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BELLEZE Vanity Desk, $199.99 (on Sale, $179.99) |
 SUPERJARE Vanity Desk, $139.99 (on Sale $109.99)
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Customizable Address Embossers Approx $50
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CLOSING STORY & THOUGHTS
Each one of you is born with uniqueness and talents that are just waiting for you to find and develop. This does not mean that you have great talents and you can just live by the basic skills. You need to develop them further to your biggest potential. Otherwise, you were just a lucky lottery winner, or found a pot of gold from the ground to only squander and waste them away because you did not earn them thru hardworking or yourself.
There was this helpful bible story for me when I was really lost while working on my goals and dream. It is called Parable of the Talents. Whether what your beliefs are, there should be something you should believe in, even no religions or yourself just like Neo believed in the Matrix. I was very much burnt out and exhausted when I heard this story and looking for some answers. There was an instant a-ha moment and relief that I was not at all lost but still on my way. It was certainly not an easy road but just knowing that I wasn't wrong or I have it in me as it was already given, which feeling was what I needed to pick myself up again. Now the only thing I need to do is recognize it, plant the seed (practically I already did) and make it bloom. Also I just didn't want to waste my talents (not in the monetary sense). Every story hits individuals differently but I hope you found some value from it.
Ancient Biblical Talents Coins, Image Source: grandrapidscoins.com
Here is the story. The "Parable of the Talents", in Matthew 25:14–30 tells of a master who was leaving his house to travel, and, before leaving, entrusted his property to his servants. According to the abilities of each man, one servant received five talents, the second had received two, and the third received only one. Upon returning home, after a long absence, the master asks his three servants for an account of the talents he entrusted to them. The first and the second servants explain that they each put their talents to work, and have doubled the value of the property with which they were entrusted; each servant was rewarded. The third one by the way, hid and buried his talent in the ground as he was afraid of being stolen and lost. The master casted him away for his wicked un-usefulness and laziness and gave his talent to the 1st servant.
The worth of talents are like 20 years of someone's wage in our times. Talents being implied as our abilities/talents that we are born with. In fact, we all are good at many things - for example, someone can sing and dance while their profession is totally something else. Some athletes who were already so achieved in their early lives go into some other profession in their later life. Whatever your calling is, listen to it and develop and grow it. Do not waste your talents.
One more funny thing to add here regarding the 3rd servant is that, some criticize him more that he could at least deposit his talent to a bank for the safekeeping and interest instead of digging a hole in the ground and burying which requires more labor than going to the banker….