TL;DR

Avoid the trap of optimization by going outside. Think OUTSIDE the box.

Whom am I speaking to? Who is this going to help?

The lone engineer who has optimized everything in his home, yet still feels sluggish and lazy; the guy who is working remotely, but lacking creativity.

My Practical Experience

There was a time when I was working remotely from home, and, despite having everything “optimized” (diet, steps, exercise, sleep, routine, etc.), I was started to get restless and lazy.

The solution: work from a new, public location

I’ve recently started working at a shopping plaza that has a Barnes and Noble store with free public WiFi.

The benefits of working at a shopping plaza, and specifically at Barnes and Noble, include:

  1. Being surrounded by books makes it easier to read more from great people
  2. Being surrounded by people from all walks of life exposes you to interesting conversations and perspective, while also providing you with a realistic understanding of the world and some basic social awareness/skills
  3. For a shopping plaza, if you find yourself board, simply go for a walk and enjoy the aesthetic scenery

There have been times where I’ve worked from other places as well. Hospitals, the classic StarBucks, hotel lobbies, etc.

The point is much of the beautiful architecture from cities and companies can be enjoyed when we work in simple locations (e.g. the lobby), while also enjoying the nuances between seemingly ordinary people who walk by everyday.

All you need if WiFi, you can figure the rest out later!

Downsides of working from home (or one fixed location)

It may be easy to get stuck in the “trap of optimization”; you become trapped in habits that no longer serve you, and you’re no longer exposed to new ideas that you would not have otherwise come across (remember: curiosity and intentionality are rivals; you cannot be curious and intentional at the same time, and some of our greatest insights come by accident).

By working at different locations, you start thinking outside of the box–your own box back home–and instead start being guided by your own curiosity.

Benefits of working in a public setting

This is still an ongoing list, as I personally start working more in public, but here are some of the benefits I’ve found

  1. Building in public trains you to listen to your inner voice amongst the sea of criticism
    • Some of the most respected leaders in history are those who have the courage to speak up in social settings–these are the people with an inner voice that’ stronger than the outside criticism

My own realization

Back when I was working at the headquarters of my main job, I realized the effect our environment has on us.

If we’re used to perfectionistic tendencies (our own office, extra fancy equipment, perfect organization tools), we end up trapping ourselves, and get “stuck” in the box-thinking that produces mediocre results.

I’ve noticed some of my colleagues having trouble focusing with the extra stimulus of any minor change–to the point where they could not perform under any minor changes. They were high performers indeed, but they were perfectionists that were fragile to minor inconveniences.

Comparing this with my dad, my dad is such the ideal model. He does his computer work IN THE CENTER of all the family chaos–the man is able to focus, despite the extra noise, which is absolutely incredible. My dad’s ability to resist the external distractions are what make him a robust and consistent high performer.

Here’s the main point: practice being uncomfortable. You get stronger, and then you become unbeatable. Slowly but surely, compounding through time.

My personal list of best areas to work

Overall pros:

  • Reduction in laziness
  • Reduction in social anxiety
  • Increase in stress tolerance
  • Increase in curiosity
  • Overcoming “local minima”

Overall cons:

  • No standing desks anywhere…my hip flexors feel so tight from sitting so much :(
  • All spaces are limited to availability of WiFi!
    • This means, I can’t work in seemingly idea places, if I do not have access to WiFi

  1. Barnes and Nobel

    • Pros:
      • Books everywhere, great environment for accidental reading
      • Great people
      • open until 9pm
    • Cons:
      • They open later in the day (10am)
      • Limited desks; may often assume desk will be taken if you leave for a break

  2. Neighborhood Community Club

    • Pros:
      • closer to home
      • opens
      • isolated location (fewer distractions for focused work)
    • Cons:
      • isolated location (lower probability of accidental interactions with people)

  3. Local Public Library

    • Pros:
      • good mix of deep study and accidental interactions
    • Cons:
      • opens at 10am
      • small book collection compared to Private Book Stores

How does this opinion explain how the world really works in a way that accurate, wholistic, and realistic?

When you work in public spaces, you encounter ordinary, everyday people. You’re not stuck in your own chamber of thoughts, rather you are exposed to what other people think and believe. You’ll realize that most humans are good, and we all have the same desires.

Thanks for the advice, now how can I practically put this to use in a simple way for daily execution?

If you work remotely, use this to your advantage and be flexible with where you work. Use it as a fun challenge, see how little you need to produce the same output of quality work. Then, enjoy the spaces around you and the people you come across.