My Productivity Stand-Up Desk Setup

And how to set up yours.

One of the most overlooked productivity tips is your desk setup. A messy desk is a surefire formula for increased mental stress. Setting up your desk for maximum productivity will give you more clarity and satisfaction, and will likely make you more productive. 

Today I’m giving you a sneak peek into my productivity desk setup. While I doubt you’ll be blown away by the photography displayed below, I share the photos as a way for you to connect with me, and also to give you an idea of how to set up your desk. Don’t copy me uncritically. Be sure your desk setup works for you. 

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Let me tell you why this matters before I show you how to set up your desk. 

Why Should You Have a Desk Setup for Maximum Productivity

1. Minimize resistance. As Matt Perman outlines in his e-book How to Set Up Your Desk, having an optimized work space minimizes resistance. It’s hard enough to get things done in a fallen world, and you don’t need to make it harder on yourself. Optimizing your desk setup for an efficient workflow minimizes resistance. Removing friction barriers is a key to becoming more productive.

2. Preserves mental energy. You don’t need to subconsciously think about the yellow highlighter you can see from your peripheral vision. Energy is not just physical. It’s also mental and emotional. Every decision you make throughout your day either helps or hurts your mental energy. When you spend an inordinate amount of time looking for a stapler, or if you dig everywhere for the post-it notes to no avail — you are draining mental energy. Since you’re exerting precious mental energy on trite things, you’re squandering your mental energy for your most important pastoral priorities. 

Now let me show you my standup desk set up in two places: 

1. At home. 
2. At church. 

My Stand-Up Desk Set Up at Home 

This is a separate desk off to the side for reading. In general, I use the stand-up desk for writing and working, and the sit-down desk for reading. I find that reading is much more enjoyable when I have an allocated desk for it. 

My Stand-Up Desk Set Up at Church 

Again, a separate desk for reading, in my office. 

The Nuts and Bolts of My Stand-Up Desk Setup 

Here are the nuts and bolts of my productivity desk setup. 

1. A stand-up desk. To state the obvious, if you want a stand-up desk set up, you need to buy a stand-up desk. I don’t recommend standing all day (it’s too hard), but sitting all day is slowly killing you. You’ve probably heard that sitting has become the new smoking. As stressful as pastoral ministry can be, one little thing you can do to invest in your longevity and mental health is to buy a stand-up desk.

At church, I use this stand-up desk. Not cheap but superior quality.

At home, I went with a cheaper option and got this one from Amazon.

2. Double screen. Don’t just work on your sermon from one individual laptop. Use at least two screens. The ease of switching back and forth and dragging items from screen to screen is seamless and saves time. Adding a double screen has been one of the best investments for my productivity. I use two screens at home, and three at church. 

3. A clean desk.  As you work, your desk might get dirty. That’s normal. You shouldn’t spend time cleaning your desk while you work. But you should work from a clean desk before you start working. The best way to do this is to clean your desk at the end of your workday.

4. A separate desk for reading. Whereas I use my stand-up desk for working and writing.

5. Laptop stand. Helps with your neck and back placement so that you are not always looking down as much.

6. A book holder. You don’t want a commentary between your legs as you write your sermon. A book holder helps with your neck and back placement and makes it more efficient to read and write.

I’m not a big fan of trays and other supplies. I don’t feel the need to have every inch of my desk used for some items.

One Missing Item 

There is one item that is inconspicuously missing in my stand-up desk setup that is common for productivity aficionados, and that’s a walking treadmill. I might add it to my work setup at some point. For now, I haven’t because I’m pretty good at getting 10,000 steps a day based on my Fitbit Tracker. But if you have not developed the habit of regular exercise, or if you want to move while you work, then consider a walking treadmill.  

How to Set up Your Desk

After buying the proper equipment, keep the following in mind when setting up your desk.

1. When deciding where to put your desk, I recommend ensuring that your back is not against the door. 

2. Use one desk for writing and working, and a separate desk for reading.

3. Tidy up your desk at the end of each work day.

4. Only store things on your desk that you need. Don’t get overly fancy with the supplies. Keep it simple and basic.

Getting serious about your standup desk setup at first requires upfront work. But over time, you will experience the blessings of an efficient workflow setup.