Did I ever tell you about the website where you start typing and if you stop typing for more than a few seconds it deletes everything you’ve written?
The horror I can feel on the other end of the phone is palpable. My partner begins to speak slowly: “That… sounds… terrifying.” That’s probably the appropriate response.
Sometimes that’s how I write Smile Project blogs.
He’s silent for a moment, but ultimately, we conclude, “whatever works.”
It reminds me of when I first started working remotely in 2019 and lived across the street from a friend who was finishing his degree. Because we were both often home during the day but busy with our respective tasks, he’d come over to lounge on our sofa and we would co-exist. We were doing this one afternoon when the timer on my phone went off—at the time, this was how I tracked my consulting hours.
Excitedly and on cue, I jumped up and shuffled down the hall to my bedroom where I produced two almond MnMs—one for me, one for my friend.
“What… are you doing?” That’s probably the appropriate response.
It’s a special little treat for each hour of work. The timer goes off and I get a little MnM.
He’s silent for a moment, but ultimately, we conclude, “whatever works.”
Perhaps it’s that simple. Perhaps half the battle is finding “whatever” works for you, what motivates you, what pushes you to be better. The other half, then, is being unafraid to set up your space, your world, your life in a way that caters to that.
I do my best work in the morning. So how can I adjust my day to capitalize on that? And on a morning where I wake up not feeling my best, how can I pivot to a softer task as I adjust to the sunrise?
I strongly believe in taking the time to figure out what works for you, to figure out what helps your brain and what hurts your brain, and then to not be afraid to share that information with those closest to you. That can only lead to more effective and positive communication and that can only lead to you being at your best.
So whether it's an anxiety-inducing writing website, the promise of a sweet treat for staying on task, or something else entirely, this week, we invite you to find something that makes your work feel effortless. And then we invite you to share that with someone close to you. And who knows! Your quirky little hack might be just the thing someone is looking for.
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