Working from cafes

A friend recently asked me how I get work done when I roam around, hopping in cafes. I'm jotting down my experiences here.

Ability get stuff done while roaming around is a skill which can be built. I've been practising this for almost 4 years.

I feel the main thing we miss when we are not at a designated place to work, be it a room at your home or your office, is a structure. Getting into the zone gets difficult.

Before visiting the cafe

Whether you are in a new city or in your hometown, doing a good prep before going to the cafe matters a lot.

What would you like to get done?

Make an agenda. Write it down in your TODO app, or notebook, or stick a PostIt on your laptop. Just this one trick will let you be on track. When you strike things off, it will make you feel good for the progress you are making.

At the cafe

Pomodoro schedule–25 min of focused work followed by 5-10 min break helps you get work done.

If you are with a bunch of friends, make sure you all are on the same page and want to get some work done. Or chill. Just know what you are planing to do.

Focusing in scheduled time blocks requires practice. It will be tough in the beginning. You will slowly start building the skill to get into the work-zone whenever you decide to.

This is something you can take home. Focusing is an essential skill for knowledge workers like us. Multi tasking is a myth. You are try to context switch very fast.

Finally, I don't have to really say this, but let me say it anyways–enjoy some coffee and food. And your time with friends. This keeps you recharged / energized for the upcoming days.

Enjoy.