The spaces where we do our work are important.
What spaces are conducive to good work? Do you work from home, in an office, in an open studio, in a coffee shop?
Where do you get your work done?
Look around the space you’re in, right now. What does it help you do? What behaviors are you engaging in? What is the most distracting thing about your workspace? Is it the people around you, the colors, the internet connectivity, your own brain? Write down what distracts you from doing your work. Then write down a way to remove those distractions.
Choose the environment that is best suited for the behaviors you want to encourage. For me, that’s the library. I pack up my books, take the effort to load up the backpack and walk down the corridor, and I sequester myself in the quiet, well-lit space because that’s where I get my work done.
Eliminate the distractions. When I need to write, I turn off the internet. When I’m at work and I need to focus, I take myself out of the flow of people-traffic in my office for a few hours, dedicating time to what I want to do.
Set up systems that work. Turn off the distractions. Be pro-active about your work efforts. Reduce clutter. Clean off the desk. Work on one thing at a time.