To Each Their Own Desk

Some people feel more productive working from home. The house quiet, no commute, and they can take a few more minutes to themselves in the morning.

Others come alive in an office environment. They like the hum of voices, the shared laughter in a room, and the small thrill of solving something together, in person.

Both are right about themselves.

The trouble starts when one person’s comfort becomes everyone’s rule. There’s a lot of online discourse, defending a single convenient location rule. But not all locations are created equal—nor are we.

So ask yourself a gentle question: At the end of which kind of day do you feel most content? Where do you feel proud of what you did, and were energized and focused instead of drained and distracted?

Be honest about the answer, even when it’s inconvenient. That feeling is information and it deserves to be taken seriously. Ignore it, and you’ll be trying to push a square peg in a round hole.

Mindful productivity is all about noticing. Notice the days you close your laptop with a quiet sense of satisfaction, and notice where you were and what happened that day.

Then go back there on purpose and unapologetically.