Home Office “Irritation List”

It’s the little things in the home office that drive us crazy.  The pile of mail multiplying overnight, the misplaced phone number, the headset that has a faulty cord (and never has worked all that well), the chair that creaks, the desk that is unbalanced … *sigh*  It can make you feel like our friend up there - wanting to pull your hair out instead of getting things done.

I listened to a presentation Jack Canfield gave on PBS, and he talked about an exercise called an “Irritation List”.  An irritation list is a way to get things down on paper that are driving you nuts just under (or not so under) the surface.  The idea is to get them down on paper, and get them taken care of so they’re not dragging you down.  It goes like this…

Write it down. Take out a piece of paper (scrap paper is fine), sit in your chair and look around your home office.  Is there anything that pops out at you?  A hole or dent in the wall, dirty window sill, a burnt out light bulb, a creaky chair underneath you or the papers congregating on every horizontal surface.  As you notice things, write them down.

Do a brain dump throughout the work day. For the rest of the day, if something pops up in your mind, write it on the list.  This kind of brain dump can be really helpful, releasing inner tension just by recognizing those little details driving you bonkers!  If you wish, keep the list up on the wall and add to it when you feel the need.

Make a commitment to take care of them. This is the crucial part of using the “Irritation List”, because otherwise it’s just making a list of stuff and reminding yourself how annoyed you are.  So, whether it’s taking out the calendar and assigning a day or determining one little thing you can do during a downtime (or creative block), make a commitment to yourself to take care of one of those things on the list every week or two.  If some of those things on require some substantial capital (like a remodel or new office equipment) make a separate list.  Make a goal and reward yourself by taking on one of the bigger (or more resource intensive) “Irritations” as you are able.

Taking care of the little aggravating details in your home office will do wonders for your well-being and your state of mind.  Tiny little annoyances suck energy in your mind and trip you up unconsciously.  Instead of directing your energy toward trying to ignore that high-pitched creaky office chair, you could focus on something more important.  Like taking care of your family, growing your business, changing your corner of the world or making THE most perfect cup of hot chocolate. 

(Artwork by Dan4th)