154. Ten things I love about (finally) having my own office

It might be a bit of a strange title, but it’s something I felt like sharing. I’ve been an entrepreneur since 2002, but it’s only since the end of January 2018 that I’ve had my own office. It’s not even completely mine, since it also contains a work desk for Charles, my personal assistant. I could write another “Ten things I love” about having him help me in my day-to-day work, but that’s neither here nor there.

So with the enthusiasm and rosy glow of someone who hasn’t really tried this before, here are Ten things I love about (finally) having my own office

1. I’m not disturbing others when I do video calls. Since our company is very international, I do a LOT of video calls these days. At our last office, I sat in the main room, along with 5–6 others, and it was annoying for everyone when I had to do a call via skype or the like. Now? Not at all.
2. I can relax on the sofa and read stuff. Most of my time is spent at the computer, but the fact that I can grab my phone and chill on the sofa while reading things? That’s worth a lot. It also means that when Charles is doing research, he can use the sofa for reading printouts.
3. I can take a nap or even sleep here. Sometimes I work late, and there’s no one but the cats to go home to, so I crash at the office. At our old office, there was a couch in our meeting room, which was great, but here, I can snore away without anyone bothering me (or being bothered!).
4. I got to decorate something on my own. I moved in with my wife in the beginning of 2005. Since then, I’ve never had a single room anywhere to “call my own”. Organisation HQs, offices, apartments — they’ve all been shared with others. It was refreshing to get to decide here.
5. It’s great for small meetings. We’ve got two comfortable office chairs and the sofa comfortably fits 3–4 people. As I do a lot of 2–3 person meetings, it’s very nice having a space where that’s easily accomplished. Having an office that’s big enough to also be a meeting room is NICE!
6. It means I don’t get distracted as much. I’m a curious sort of fellow and I like having a feel for what’s going on. That hasn’t changed, but I can definitely acknowledge that I poke my nose in less things now I’m sitting by myself and not in the middle of others doing work.
7. I’ve got my own mini-stash now. A printer. Staplers, post-its, etc. Even a mini-fridge! Having my own office means that these things are within easy reach, where before we had them centrally placed. Sure, it’s a very minor thing, but it makes a difference that I can actually feel.
8. Others can use it when I’m not around. My old work space was basically just a desk with my computer. When I wasn’t there, it wasn’t easy for someone else to make use of it (unless they used the computer), but when I’m not around now, my office is actually quite usable.
9. It’s extremely motivating for me. I’m a weird creature; definitely an extrovert, but also with the ability to dive deep into work and power on for many hours at a time without looking up. Having an office where the door can be either closed or open makes it easier to switch modes.
10. It feels like an extra home. My wife will laugh at me for this, but it’s true. This is my space, and it functions in a way that I like. I spend an insane amount of hours here every week, so feeling comfortable in the space matters a lot. And here, I feel comfortable as hell. ;-)

Thank you for reading.

If you want to get into contact, you can find me at clausraasted.dk, or you can find our company at dziobak.studio.