Home Office – A Few of My Favorite Things

I enjoy reading about the latest tech gadgets and software.  Who doesn’t want information about things to make your professional life more efficient, convenient, and productive?  Technology makes my virtual work possible, but my favorite and most used items are completely no-tech or  low-tech.  Here some items that make my home office a very pleasant place for me to work as a virtual paralegal…

My Comfy Office Chair

This is first on the list because it is so very important.  If you spent a lot of time sitting, you need to have proper support for your back.  Aeron chairs are famous for their lumbar support if they are in your budget.  I don’t even know what company made my chair; I think it was purchased at Office Max.  The important thing is that it is a perfect fit for me.  Take your time selecting a good chair; consider it an investment in your productivity (because it is).

My Little Red Book

Some call it a calendar, planner, diary, agenda or day timer.  I use Google calendar with some clients and other programs for a tickler system, but I can’t give up my paper calendar.  This is just a personal preference.  I use a  red, leather Filofax (Finchley, personal size for Filofax fans).   I like the feel of the paper, the smell of the leather, and the visual of having it open on my desk at all times.  My Filofax also houses my address book and certain lists I like to have handy.

My Desk Jewelry

Everyone has a favorite pen, right?  Mine just happens to be  from a jewelry line (Brighton), not a pen company.  It is actually a pen cover; you can put a variety of pen types into the cover.  I not only enjoy writing with this pen, but I also enjoy the look of it.

My Weather Station (only techy thing on the list)

My entire family is addicted to this little gadget.  It displays indoor and outdoor temperature,  relative humidity, twelve hour weather forecast, time, and date.  Yes, I could get most of this  from weather.com, but the weather station’s local outdoor temperature is truly local.  I have a remote sensor on my front porch that transmits information to the device.

My Paper Inbox

I feel a little guilty showing you this since I am an advocate of the paperless office, but this letter and paper organizer is a convenient way to sort documents immediately and keep them handy when I need to access them.  I bought this at IKEA for less than $20.  IKEA is a great place for things to organize your office economically.

My Office Assistant

How could I leave out this cutie?  He is actually very helpful to me as I plow through documents and help small firms thrive.  He serves several purposes: he keeps me company; he looks really cute; and he can be quite entertaining. Unfortunately, he is of no use as a guard dog.

You may be wondering if these things really help me to be a better paralegal and offer a more outstanding service to my clients.  Well, they help me a lot by creating an environment that I truly enjoy. I love my office so I want to spend time there.  I am comfortable and happy while doing my work which I believe translates into better quality of work and of life.