A RELIABLE WORK SPOT (AND A PLAN B)

While I like to think that I'm a spontaneous person, I'm an incredibly picky worker. I cannot focus at a rickety table, when surrounding conversation reaches a certain decibel, or while sitting on a swirly bar stool. (When your height is on the lower side of average, bar stools can be cruel). My favorite spot is at our dining table, looking out towards the living room windows.

But every number of days, thanks to a certain benevolent grandmother, I'm able to leave the house for a handful of hours. On these days, I frequent a local cafe that usually has my favorite booth free in the back corner. The coffee is quality, the atmosphere inspires, and on week days there are only a few other focused workers with fingers puttering away at keyboards. Conversations are muffled and the music is soft, so I can focus well and be productive.

The other day my usual haunt failed to provide me a spot within close proximity to an outlet (in its later years, my lap top has been hanging on for dear life). An hour later and four cafes down, I tossed my things onto a Starbucks' table, and then I saw this:

So next time the neighborhood cafe fails me, I'll skip the search and settle immediately into a desk at a certain library. It's not my preferred atmosphere to work in, but it's fool proof. And when you have strict time constraints, fool proof takes precedent over journeys across town in search of lattes and inspiration.


Check out the qualities I look for in a reliable work spot here.