Change the Focus

The extra bedroom at my house was originally designated as the Family History Room. At one time, I did a lot of genealogy, and this room became the place to keep my records and books.

Some genealogists add whole rooms onto their homes, so my collection — which needed only part of an existing room — seemed pretty tame by comparison.

Later, this room became the Infamous Blue Room, partially because the blue paint on the walls is so outdated, and partially because it was hard to get in there. It had become a catch-all room.

But one thing led to another, and I gave the blue room some attention. I finished replacing the ceiling light fixture, a project started several years ago. And I put together a drafting table that I’d bought almost six years ago. It didn’t take much, once I got started.

Now, it’s the Focus Room, a second office.

As I use this room, I can listen to business programs on iTunes, playing on the computer in my main office next door. The drafting table gives me space to spread out books, notepads and other things. This leads to more efficient work on projects that my office desk cannot accommodate.

By making a decision on a goal, I got this space together, and now it’s useful for further focusing on more projects. The walls are still blue, but changing the name of this room, and feeling the sense of accomplishment that goes with making it useful, helps me do it again.

Paint can come later.