Where Does Real Work Happen? (Productive Flourishing Pulse #506)
And what counts as real work?
“But what about work?”
That’s always the first question when people learn Angela and I are camping in the woods indefinitely in the summer. Their faces scrunch up, processing the concept.
A weekend camping trip they understand. A scheduled vacation makes sense. But staying out with no set return date doesn’t compute.
The question reveals how deeply we’ve all internalized certain beliefs about what “real work” looks like.
Real work happens in dedicated spaces.
Real work follows fixed schedules.
Real work looks like sitting at a desk, in meetings, typing on laptops.
But in the woods…
I’m advising better. Client solutions emerge during motorcycle rides, my mind free to explore possibilities instead of forcing answers. And I can do my meetings from our basecamp.
I’m solving problems better. Hours by the river aren’t “time off” — they’re when the thorny challenges untangle themselves; when strategy becomes clear.
I’m thinking better. Without artificial constraints around when and where work should happen, my brain finds its natural rhythm.
I’m writing better. These words came together while I was tending our morning fire, not during a scheduled writing block.
Yes, we’re camping under trees and spending afternoons by the water. But while I’m doing those things, I’m turning over client scenarios, prepping for upcoming sessions, working through proposals, and shaping the next book.
I have one in-person strategy session this month. Beyond that, none of my work requires me to be in a particular place.
What unsettles people isn’t that I’m working in the woods; it’s that I don’t need to come back and that I don’t know when I will.
That’s the part that breaks their mental model of work because this isn’t a pause or a temporary escape.
It’s just us working from one of my summer offices and being in nature while the weather and conditions are fitting.
I realize that owning my own business and doing this work for decades means I have a lot more autonomy. I also know that plenty of people with knowledge-work jobs and hybrid work arrangements could do their own version of working from places where they come alive. They’re not because of how they’ve framed where real work happens.
Which raises two questions:
Where do you do your best work?
And what assumptions about “real work” might be keeping you from working that way more often?
~Charlie
Take a Moment…
… to answer the two questions above for yourself.
Where do you do your best work? And what assumptions about “real work” might be keeping you from working that way more often?
We’d love to hear what’s coming up for you.
Best Work Resources
A few of our many resources on doing your best work — wherever and however you choose:
In Case You Missed It
“Stingy Compassion, Quiet Misery, and High Achievers” by Todd Kashdan (read more from Todd in his newsletter, Provoked)
There’s Still Time to Join Us This Month
Leadership Strategy Sessions
Check out some highlights from this month’s call: Turning Disruption into Strategic Insight
Plan to join us for the July and August sessions, where we’ll cover:
July: Leading When Calendar Time Breaks
August: Reboarding Without the Whiplash
Monthly Momentum Calls
There’s still time to join us for the MMC next week:
Monthly Momentum Call (MMC): Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 11:00 am PDT
The Power of Creative Incubation
June’s natural slowdown creates perfect conditions to step away from constant distractions and let breakthrough insights emerge. How can you use this seasonal rhythm to protect your natural incubation periods? What’s the difference between productive stepping back and avoiding the work?
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I work from home, which is wonderful but so-very isolating.. I should try out different workspaces instead of worrying about the time I lose in transit. I do some of my best thinking in transit, so why do I think transit time is a pure waste??
Wow, mind blown by something so simple that I just might do it. I work totally remotely and hardly anyone cares if I turn on the camera or not. I could literally be anywhere, and sometimes I am, like when I visit family or travel a bit. But the woods? I would love it there. I just might try that this summer sometime. Just need good internet and power. If I get some additional equipment I could bring my Starlink, which opens up all kinds of possibilities.
Kind of reminds me of the question I learned from Pat Flynn: If this were easy, what would it look like?
Working from the woods: Easy.
No return date: pushing it (but still possible.)
Thanks for the concept Charlie.