8 Work Places to Make Your Work Worth Living
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Do you want your life to be about work?
Or would you rather make your work to be about life?
Do you spend your days locked up in a clumsy, cluttered office. Sitting next to a uniform desk in a uniform settings. Feeling like your life is passing you by and you are missing all the fun happening outside the office walls.
Here you have eight alternative working places to get you started: Check them out, see which ones you like, and try them out if your boss lets you. If you have the power to choose your working environment, you could even try all of them!
1. Coffee shop
This is the classic home base for coffee drinking web workers. The noise level in a coffee shop is usually quite high, the desks aren’t that well designed for working, and the novelty of the idea has long since vanished.
But if you enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and like to have people around you, it’s still worth giving a shot.
2. Library
As a more quiet variation of the coffee shop approach, a library is a nearly perfect working environment.
Just ask any student you know: there are books all around you if you happen to need more information, the desks are usually pretty good for working, and it’s quiet. Choose a library with a lot of history: old books, old paintings and so on, and I can guarantee you that the atmosphere will be inspiring. You’ll be missing the action, and you won’t be outdoors, but otherwise this is a really good option if you want to get something done.
3. Parking hall
Want something more edgy?
Try a parking lot, or better yet, a parking hall. The sound of car engines all around you will keep you alert, the air is cool (but full of dangerous fumes) and the light is not too bright. This option is for the adventurous people, but imagining the reactions of your friends when you tell them that you work in a parking hall probably it worth a try.
4. Boat
There aren’t many things more relaxing than to sit in it in the middle of a lake, listening to the sound of rain falling on the roof of a small boat. Or watching the sun rise from the horizon while hearing birds singing in the background.
A boat is a calm place to work. But not for someone afraid of water.
5. Summer cottage
Just like a boat, this is for the worker who enjoys solitude and being near the nature.
In a summer cottage you can smell the rain, feel the wind and almost be part of the nature without the fear of drowning. But you’ll have to make your own coffee.
6. Your home
Working at home is one of the biggest reasons why people choose to become self employed.
When you work at home, you get to be near your family and spend time with your kids when they come back from school or daycare. You can even work in your pajamas if you want to.
But that’s also the flip side: you get interrupted often, it can be hard to concentrate, and before you notice you spend the whole day doing household tasks. So, this working environment isn’t for everyone either. But if you are a family person disciplined enough to separate work and family time, it might be perfect for you.
7. Trailer
If you want to work at home, but are distracted by the other people living with you, you can consider moving your office outdoors. On a sunny day working on your porch or balcony can be a great option. But it’s not always sunny.
In a case of a rainy day having a real office is important. Kathy Sierra has solved this problem by having a vintage trailer on her front yard. Now she can stay outdoors, but still have an actual office.
8. Beach
Feel the salty breeze of wind on your face and hear the sound of waves hitting the shore.
If you want to be near water but don’t own a boat this might be a good option for you. Just don’t forget to work: beaches are full of things to do and see, and when the sun is shining, closing your eyes and relaxing on the sand can be tempting.
What about you, do you have a favorite place where you like to work? Or a dream of a place where work would not feel like working anymore, and you would really be living? Share your thoughts in the comments and let’s see how well our dreams match.
This month we’re celebrating Insanely Interesting September. Check out the announcement and participate in the group writing project: What do you find interesting today? What makes this September the most interesting so far? Why are you insanely interested in something? Share your thoughts and see what others have written.
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September 19th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I have found that coffee shops work best. However I do carry my iPod and the noise canceling headphones to keep the noise away.
I didn’t think of the library. There is a Borders close by, which serves coffee too. Maybe I will give that a shot.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Hey Abishek, I keep hearing about Borders every now and then, but the concept is still quite unclear to me (we don’t have any here in Finland).
Is it a bookstore? But somehow it’s different from a regular one… Can you clarify this to me a bit?
September 20th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Ah, the covered parking garage full of carbon monoxide… for when I’m not already sleepy enough at my job.
Oh, and let’s not forget the value of the bathroom when working from home. I done some of my best reading in there!
September 20th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Hi Jarkko.
Interesting places. My favorite would be a summer cottage, whenever I can afford one :-). Nothing matches the chirping of birds, the eddies of sun coming down the trees and the sound of a brook running nearby.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Jeff: Reading in the toilet is actually pretty nice. No one is going to disturb you in there so it’s a great place for things that require concentration :)
For some reason women don’t seem to get this…
Amrit: Yeah, that’s a great environment! My favorite would probably be the boat (although I haven’t tried it) with the only problem that once my laptop battery would run out, I’d have to get back to shore or work with pen and paper…
September 20th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
I love to study and do work in coffee shops. We (my husband and I) spend at least 2 hours in Panera Bread every Saturday morning. They have free wi-fi and decent bagels and coffee.