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Editor’s note: this is a re-post of an older article as I am going to be away without reliable internet for a few days.

…and you can’t get out?

I must admit the movie Office Space is one of my favorite films of all time. It really is a classic. One of the best parts of the movie is when the lead character removes the screws from his cubicle and lets the walls fall down in front of the recently hired efficiency consultants so he can have some breathing room. Unfortunately, even for those of us who live in the Caribbean and thought we were leaving the 8×8 pre-fab mini office behind in the “real world” well, guess again.

So, I ask, for five days out of the week are you one of the many who spends their day toiling within a cubicle? If you answered yes, that means for approximately 2000 hours per year you are confined to your pre-defined work area, which according to Wired magazine is actually shrinking in size to 5×6.

Standard office cage cubicle

For so many, the better part of our lives are spent within the confines of four easy to assemble, sturdy, and semi-fuzzy walls of the cube, and yet, as a place where we spend so much time we seem to know so little about our home away from home. Do you even know what a cubicle is made of? Well, neither do I, but there is a company who is responsible for checking that cubes don’t emit toxic pollutants.

How about the average cubicle size, and how it is determined and based on where you lie on the organizational chart? Yes, size matters and it varies depending on your place in the corporate hierarchy. Thanks to the internet, there is even a published guide on cubicle size protocol which provides standards to help upper management determine who gets what office. Lastly, if you have been feeling a little sluggish at work lately finishing off those TPS reports (refer to Office Space) and if you would like to increase your productivity I was amazed to discover that you can actually have cubicle feng shui advisors visit. Specifically, for a nominal fee the feng shui consultant can create an efficient working environment to help boost effectiveness and productivity that could quite possibly save you the next time you see management consultants in your office.

To be honest, I am not downing the cube. In fact I OWE everything I have to the office cubicle. It was many years ago when I was an undergraduate and I worked at a pharmaceutical company that I experienced my original cubicle and after the very first day I spent in it I swore, someday, even if it killed me, I would free myself of the cubicle. Thanks to the time I spent in the cubicle, that is what has driven me (and Terrie) to purchase the Palmetto Guesthouse in the Caribbean.

Whatever it is that you want to do in life, you CAN do it. Get motivated, make a plan, and become proactive!

This British Virgin Islands’ office has no cubicles only a great view: FreshMango