The Right Environment
The following is a bit of stream of consciousness. So please bear with me on this one and try and follow where I am going:).
Each week, I want to focus on one thing. I write it down every day to keep it top of mind. This week’s Intention is to Design, Discover, and Develop an Environment conducive for Deep Work.
What does that look like? Focus so that I can write and do the uncomfortable things that I seem to resist. It doesn’t need to be in one place. What are the characteristics? Not really sure. Maybe I should sit here for a moment and think.
Open space?
Attractive surroundings,
The temperature needs to be comfortable. Not too cold or too hot
People around or no people?
A room with windows or not.
Open space in nature or a public space?
Do I want people to see me or to be invisible
Music or no music?
What kind of music?
My home and if so, how should the room be decorated?
A comfortable room separate from everyone.
Looking out onto nature, the woods with a river or stream or a view of the ocean?
The sound of nature calming me and allowing me to see the expanse.
The ability to be still and calm with my thoughts so that I can think.
When I don’t have the answer readily available, I want a space that allows me to sit still. To allow my mind to wander till it finds the answer. Maybe not the right one just yet but one that will lead to another until I come up with the right one.
It’s the process I need to allow my mind to go through, travel through, and get to its destination.
What does that space look like? Or is any area ok?
Wait a minute… what space am I talking about? The external of internal space?
The external space doesn’t really matter so much as long as it is not interfering with my internal space.
So when my Intention is to Design the right environment to be productive, I think I am talking about the Internal Environment.
So let’s start over.
My Intention for the week is to Design an Internal Environment to be uber-productive and create meaningful work. So that I can be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Be ok not having the answer right away and just being in the space to allow the answers to come. It seems like a long way around.
What does your environment look like? Do you have different places that you do other work? Maybe a writing room and a separate reading room. Is there a distinct aura that you become someone else so that you can create?
I have a variety of environments that I work in, and they are constantly changing depending on my internal needs. There are times I need to be among activities. I might go to a brewery near my house, put my headset on and write or think about what’s to come next. What are the things that I need to do that make me uncomfortable? What are the Frogs that I need to eat?
I have taken train rides to be out of my typical environment to catch up on my reading and gather and develop my thoughts about the next project. I rather like that. Setting myself up without human contact just to be focused on one thing. Without distraction other than my own racing mind. I can’t leave that behind. Well, I guess you can. But that would take us down an entirely different path. One which I don’t want to go down. It would just be a distraction. So I will put a pin in it.
Once you are focused on your goals and objectives, you need to ensure that you are in the right environment to achieve them. To take the next right action each day that will get you closer. Otherwise, just focusing without taking any steps is a fool’s errand, and you will never succeed. Though I would also think that might be an oxymoron. If that is happening, then maybe you aren’t focused on the right thing.
I know that I am rambling, and I hope that is ok with you. Just try and follow me as I try and figure this all out. Since it can be rather fluid and both internal and external environments change, you might not want to get too attached to it. What might work today might not tomorrow. So don’t get too frustrated. Sometimes you just need to put your head down, quiet the noise and get to work.
