When it comes to creative work, most professionals will tell you it’s important to establish routines. That includes having a designated work space.
Whether you prefer a home office, the kitchen table, or your favorite local coffee shop, sitting down to work at your designated place helps your brain know it’s time to work. It encourages consistency.
But what about those times when you feel you’re stuck?
What Is a Work Field Trip?
With more companies offering work-from-home options, and a growing number of people running online businesses, taking your work on the road is a great way to take advantage of being away from a traditional office.
In general, a work field trip is similar to those field trips you remember from school. But instead of going somewhere to enhance learning, you go somewhere to boost your creative and professional output. These trips involve planning a day where you go to different locations to work on a specific task or goal. Field trips can be for a few hours or an all day thing. Locations can range from a casual coffee shop to a co-working space you rent for the day.
A Day In the Life – My Recent Writing Field Trip
As a writer, when I am in the middle of a new project, taking a field trip to write is a great way to boost my creative flow. I don’t have many distractions at home, but staring at the same view gets old. Taking a writing field trip gets me out of my apartment and offers different kinds of interactions.
Last week, I planned a writing field trip day to work on my NaNoWriMo project. In my case, I have a flexible schedule right now so I didn’t have set times at each place. I wen for a few hours and left when I felt like heading to the next spot.
I originally planned to go to three places, but my third stop got cut due to weather. But that’s the great thing about a work field trip – you can adjust on the fly if needed.
Here’s a quick look at my writing field trip:
Morning Stop – Barnes & Noble for coffee
I live within a mile of a Barnes & Noble store. I can sit in their cafe area for several hours without being interrupted. There are usually a handful of others working on their own projects or meeting for coffee with someone. It’s a good place for my morning stop because it’s casual, there are individual tables, and I can get a light breakfast. And as a writer, being surrounded by books provides a spark of inspiration.
Afternoon Location – Late Lunch at Runza
For those outside of Nebraska, Runza is a local fast food chain. There’s one nearby that has become one of my favorite spots for a working lunch. This particular location has two dining areas. The secondary one is a perfect spot to set up for a few hours. I can claim a back table and be out of the way of customers in the main area.
Reward Time – Cookie at home
I had originally planned on a third location for a late afternoon snack, but we had a cold front move in. I decided to head home as the wind started picking up and temperatures dropped. I grabbed a big cookie from Runza to take home. This was my afternoon reward when I hit my word count goal for the day. Just like buying a souvenir on a field trip, taking home a snack from one of your field trip locations can be a fun reward for completing your goals for the day.
Benefits of Taking Your Work On a Field Trip
Remember how excited you got for field trips when you were in school? You got out of normal classwork and got to see different people and places. The new environment promoted creativity and curiosity.
I believe the same holds true for adults. While having a set work space provides stability and routine, getting away from that space once in a while offers creative and productive benefits.
- Physical Energy – Modern work environments often mean long hours sitting at a desk and staring at a computer screen. Using stand-up desks helps. But physically moving from location to location during a work field trip provides more extensive physical movement. You’re either walking or driving to each place. You’re standing and walking to enter and leave the location. And there’s more opportunity to move within the space itself than in a traditional cubicle.
- Creative Energy – Studies show that physical activity boosts the feel good chemicals in your brain. By changing locations where you do your work, and moving around within that new location, those chemicals trigger your brain to work differently. As a result, the change of scenery can boost your creative output.
- Social Energy – Most creatives and remote workers are introverts. We prefer to work on our own, but that can also lead to isolation. Taking an occasional field trip to work in public provides the opportunity to be around others but still control the level of interaction. Being around others, even on a limited basis, can provide mental stimulation. And in my case as a writer, I often pick up quirks or comments from people watching that can be fun to incorporate into a character or scene I’m writing.
Tips For a Productive Work Field Trip
In order to make your work field trip more successful, there are some things to keep in mind. The good thing is that you can plan ahead for almost all of these, so you will be prepared to take advantage of the day.
- Know what you need – Depending on the type of work you do, you might only need a table to sit at. Others might need Wi-Fi. If your work is more client based where you will be making calls or doing virtual meetings, consider renting a co-working space that would be quieter than a coffee shop. You also need to account for your travel time to make sure you don’t miss any meetings or other scheduled tasks that day.
- Know you budget – As you plan your locations be aware of any that require purchase. While some coffee shops will let you stay without ordering, most food service places require that you purchase something. So if you’re tight on funds, look for places that are either free, like a library, or where you can order something small and still stay for a while. This is a great time to take advantage of coupons, special promotions, and any gift cards you might have lying around when you’re planning your field trip stops.
- Know your goals – Before starting your day, it’s helpful to figure out what you want to accomplish. Whether you want to get a certain project completed at one location or have set word count if you’re a writer, be sure to have clear expectations for yourself.
- Know your supplies – When taking your work on the road, it’s important to be sure you have everything you’ll need to do the work. This includes everything from a laptop or tablet to charging cords to pens and notepads. Headphones are also a good idea in case the surrounding noise or music is too distracting, or if you like listening to music or podcasts while you work.
- Know your surroundings – Places like coffee shops are used to people coming in to work. But other places might not be as user friendly as a work space. When looking for a place to sit, be considerate of the business and their customers. For example, when at a restaurant, try to find a place towards the back of the dining area where you’ll be out of the way of other customers. Also, take into consideration peak times when the business will be more crowded.
Reignite your creativity!
Subscribe to get new content, monthly newsletter, and important updates. You'll also receive a free download - "30 Days of Creative Inspiration."
