I’m in New York City overnight for an event this evening, and so today and tomorrow I’m working at a cool co-working space. It has loads of great features: long tables built from recycled wood, free beverages, good light, Wi-Fi, and an acceptable level of background noise. Not so loud that you can’t hear yourself think, not so quiet that you start to feel afraid of disturbing others with a fit of the hiccups. There are at least three cute dogs here today. The place has a Slack group in which members can get to know one another, and they regularly have networking events; there’s been at least one game night since I first signed up.
But I haven’t really been taking as much advantage of these opportunities for connection as I could. One fairly good reason is that I’m only here occasionally on day passes–I’m not a regular. And I live more than an hour and a half away, which discourages me from coming in very often. Now that the chill of winter is giving way to summer warmth with occasional bouts of spring cool, I want to come in more regularly. But I also find myself stuck in some rigid habits, and it’s surprising how quickly I’ve become entrenched in the idea of working in specific spaces, at specific times.
The great freedom of being a sole proprietor is the ability to work flexible hours. As long as I meet my clients’ needs, I can work where and how I like. Right? And yet it’s all too easy to feel challenged by unexpected changes. Heck, earlier this week I spent a chunk of the day working in our dining room instead of my home office, so I could be available as needed for the utility workers who were replacing our gas line, and I felt exposed and constrained for no really good reason. (I also wanted nothing more than to be able to heat the kettle and make a cup of tea, but the psychology of that doesn’t require any explanation.) In fact, I wasn’t really any less productive than if I’d been up in my office, and that was very illuminating.
It’s so easy to mistake familiarity for correctness. To assume that discomfort, or being out of one’s accustomed habits, has to be a disadvantage. Sometimes, sure, but it’s also a chance to reexamine the difference between productive habits and rigid ones. And it’s a chance to meet some cute dogs and get a fresh perspective.