It's the first time that I've ever left my room or living space to work and I'm amazed at how much more effective I've been in terms of the work and studying I've gotten done.

I live pretty messily and I think the biggest difference is working without looking at so much clutter on my desk, being in a room full of others working diligently and for some reason I find working on a nice wood finish to be very productive.

Experiment around until you find something that works and stick with it.

As for the clutter, I definitely agree that a clear desk (and computer desktop, taskbar) helps clear the mind and helps you focus on the real work. Being around others that are hard at work does amazing things, too, I agree!

Now, I just wish I didn't have just a single bedroom apartment, because I can't quite adequately separate my bedroom from my work...a desk in the living room is then surrounded by the distractions of TV and kitchen (from my girlfriend, not myself). A desk in the bedroom, while workable, is not ideal, I think.

However, when I want to get some work done that I know how to do, I tuck myself away in a corner of the library in between two aisles of books. With 8ft. ceilings and the books pressing in around me, I can be quite productive for ~2 hours, but then need to walk outside/ get up and move in order to keep working beyond that.

Also, I read recently that red is good for focusing and being methodical, and blue for "thinking outside the box". I'm tempted to set up a room where one side of the room is red, and the other blue. Depending on what kind of work I'm doing, I could face one wall or the other.

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