From the mind of Roger Wyatt

Did you know that you can greatly improve your productivity in a casino? That's right, you absolutely can. Let me tell you how.

Distractions are your enemy

To get work done quickly - so you can go play - you need to eliminate all distractions. One of the worst distractions is looking out the window on a beautiful day and wanting to go surf or play golf. Once the idea gets in your head you quickly begin to wish you were anywhere but at work. Your productivity just plummets. I used to love an office with a great view because I love the outdoors. When I was offered an interior office to rent I really had to think about it. It was cheaper and for my first real office, I took it. What an incredible choice I made. One distraction down - productivity shot up.

Clockwatching is a thing of the past.

I have no clocks in my office. I have no windows in my office. Some people think this is the worst place in the world to spend so much time. Granted, it could use paint and some sprucing up, but I don't plan on being here for a long time. I wanted to put a clock in here, but decided against it shortly after moving in.  Now, when I am working in code, I can be completely engrossed in the project. Kymmie has to call me quite often to remind me to start packing up and come home, because I frequently don't know what time it is. I am in "Project Time".

How My Casino Works

I call my office style "Nouveaux Casino". It's casino rules without the casino distractions. Ever been in a casino? You will notice a few things:
1. No Clocks
2. No Windows
3. Controlled focus
So I removed the clocks, don't have a window, and don't put up a bunch of stuff to take my focus away from the work in front of me. I like to say that my office is the same time of day, all day, every day.

Doesn't it feel like a prison?

Not in the least. In fact, if I need to come to the office to work on something because I'm too distracted at home it doesn't bother me because I never feel like I'm working late, or working really early. I simply work when I want and am equally productive at 10pm as I am at 10am because in my office there is no time.

What about meeting customers?

My Nouveaux Casino doesn't really work well for entertaining customers. My business doesn't require having customers come to the office so it works great for me. As my business grows, I'll put in a conference/training area that will appeal to visitor. However, my workspace is designed for one thing - work.

Other productivity tips

• I like talk radio, but it's not always the best thing for productivity. I find that my mind gets involved in the conversations and my focus drifts. Music also blocks out anyone walking by my office and hides the whine of the computer fans. When I need to focus, I put on Absolute Classic Rock from the UK. (see post: 5 great reasons to love Absolute Classic Rock on iTunes).
  
• Turn off the phone. When I really have a deadline or am in a tough bit of code, I turn off the phone. At the very minimum, turn off the ringer. If I'm turning it off, I'll send a text or call Kymmie and let her know not to call me. Likewise, I'll send my assistant the same message.
• Close all other browser windows. Facebook is a real time sucker. To focus, turn off everything but what you are working on.
• Make a list. This should be it's own post. Making a list keeps someone like me focused. I am quite ADD very often and without the list, I will jump around to several less important tasks. Put no more than 6 things to do in a day. When those are done, you are free to do anything else. Six tasks are easily achievable and even if you make another list of 6 things that's okay - you just accomplished a lot with the first six.