The Joy of Going Mobile
I had reason to truly appreciate the portability of my office this week, at least for some of my tasks and projects. (there are some which will always require being in my home office with all the information and equipment available and at hand). I was compelled to do my civic duty which entails driving an hour each way (give or take 10 minutes if I’m lucky enough to avoid rush hour. More if I’m not) and spending an entire day either waiting for my name to be called or, if luck wasn’t with me, getting stuck in a courtroom waiting to answer questions which could determine my fate for a couple of weeks, maybe more.
Either way, I lose an entire day of work for the privilege, or take my office with me by way of my laptop and Dropbox, and keep plugging away. I tend to opt for the latter. Granted, I could curl up in a chair and read all day without a problem, but I prefer to do so in the comfort of my own home where bras and shoes are optional, and a cat or two snuggles beside me. With the ready availability of cloud storage options like Dropbox, and Project Management tools like Trello, all I need is a reasonably speedy Wi-fi connection to maintain the aggressive writing schedule I’ve set for myself.
Getting Ahead on The Portable Tasks
Though sensitive client work must wait for another day, I clear space I might have otherwise 
occupied. Easily portable tasks include:
- Writing and scheduling blog posts for myself and some of my clients
- Updating Trello for tasks completed and future months’ plans
- Updating the spreadsheet where I keep track of posts I’m sharing to Medium
- Sharing posts and information on Social Media
While there are other tasks which can easily be managed remotely, these are the easiest (and sometimes the most time-consuming). A pair of earbuds and Pandora are all I need to focus on writing or creating schedules for future work.
My old workhorse of a laptop has seen better days. It can frustrate me with it’s slowness and lack of space. I tend to keep at least half a dozen tabs open on my browser at any given time which causes Firefox to bog down and need to be closed periodically. But it’s a small price to pay for giving me a productive day rather than hours of wasted time. I’m grateful the old thing continues to serve me well, if more slowly than my brain works. (How ironic is that?)
Tuning Out the Masses
I credit my ability to tune out other people to my years spent in the cube jungle where nothing more than waist-high partitions separated me from dozens of other workers talking on phones, discussing their latest project (or social life), and pounding away on computers. Nowadays, it might take a bomb or air horn to get my attention when I’m in the “zone” despite a veritable party going on around me.
Though a crowded jury waiting room is hardly Grand Central Station, 200 or so people trying to fill the time between announcements and calls for jury panels would be distracting for those less inured to a moderate level of chaos. I might accomplish more in the quiet of my home office, or even the minimally intrusive corner I sometimes find in a local coffee house, but I’ve found sometimes a change of scenery is useful in stirring the creative juices.
The View From a Different POV
A different view can trigger a different viewpoint, or trigger ideas I’d never see were I to 
remain in one place all the time. Even Julia Cameron, author of “The Artist’s Way” and “It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again” (among others) recommends getting out at least once a week to write in a different venue. Many refer to it as cafe writing since quite often, writers relocate to a local cafe for coffee with their scribbling.
In fact, it was from Ms. Cameron and another author, Judy Reeves, I learned to always be prepared to write when faced with a long wait. Thus, I’d packed a spiral notebook, my colored V5 pens, and Ms. Reeves’ “A Writer’s Book of Days” in case I got bored with blog writing or reading. It never hurts to have a backup plan, and a writer can always write, even if it’s just a response to a prompt. (who am I kidding? I’ve gotten blog posts and story ideas from some of those prompts. Once I tapped into old feelings towards my dad I didn’t even know I had! That particular side trip became another chapter in Life Torn Asunder: Rebuilding After Suicide.) The truth is, I’m learning writing prompts are a powerful tool, whether it’s to break a block, generate new ideas, or get back in touch with old ones.
Deviating From Routine Is a Good Thing
Needless to say, it isn’t a bad thing to be forced out of the normal routine, and being mobile with all the things I do in a week makes altering my plans that much easier. I feel less guilty and pressed for time when I’m able to produce something useful during my time away from the office. Whether it’s a completed and scheduled blog post, a writing prompt which will yield another post, catching up on some reading—I’m learning to appreciate how the Universe finds ways to shake up my world and get me out of the routines and ruts I place myself in from time to time.
As a writer, I’ve learned ruts can be deadly. Creativity grinds to a halt, words don’t come easily, ideas are nonexistent, or at best, dull and dreary. A change of scenery, some people watching, having to put on a bra and shoes for something besides dancing or the gym—all are not only good for creativity, I think ultimately, they’re essential.
So maybe even Jury Duty has it’s bright side.
Can I Help You?
Are you stuck in a rut of your own? Could you use a change of scenery? Would you like to take a task or two off your plate? Maybe it’s content creation, or perhaps it’s getting your books in order and creating a budget. If this sounds familiar and you’re ready to streamline your life and give your business space to grow and thrive, CONTACT ME and let’s talk!
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, ghostwriter, and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, 
but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming release of “Life Torn Asunder: Rebuilding After Suicide”.
