Working from a Coffee shop: What you need to bring and why?
Working in a coffee shop is a real pleasure. However, to have a comfortable visit, you need to bring the correct equipment.
You have to balance two key needs: having the right stuff with you versus what is practical to carry.
What do I bring
The good thing about working from a coffee shop is that the process has been built with several constraints that dictate how to proceed.
However, most modern creative, knowledge, consultancy, and admin workers who work in coffee shops will only need a few items to do their jobs.
I would always aim for the least stuff to work effectively.
For me, this includes:
- Laptop backpack
- Laptop
- Mouse
- Writing pad
- Pens
- Earpods
And that is it. The list is purposely small as bringing too much stuff with you will only make the journey more cumbersome, create too many options when working, slow down your setup and reduce your options when choosing a seat.
Additionally, much of the paperwork you have or use in your day-to-day job should not be present in a coffee shop.
Why do I bring each of these items?
Laptop backpack - to carry everything whilst easily walking to the coffee shop. I use this backpack.
Laptop - to do my work on a Lenovo Chromebook as it makes me look important to other patrons of the coffee shop.
Mouse - As a millennial, I find working with mice easier than key commands. What can I say, I am old.
Writing pad - I usually keep my 'to-do' list on paper for the tasks I want to do in the day.
Pens - To write with.
Earpods - To listen to music if I need to block out distractions. Currently using these Belkin SoundForm Pods in a lovely racing green.
Subscibe to the Newseltter
Why no charger?
You might have noticed that I do not bring a charger with me. This is a very deliberate move on my part.
Not bringing a charger has a range of benefits I find from both a working perspective and a practical perspective. Not having a charger means that I am working.
I always have in the back of my mind the knowledge that I am going to run out of battery, and wasting time looking at nonsense on the internet is going to eat into that energy budget. This spurs me to ensure that I am making the most of my time.
Approaching it from a practical perspective helps me to find a seat as it opens up more seats, and I am open to more seats. I fo not look like a total numpty with the laptop plugged in for hours and it reduces the weight of the bag I am carrying.
So this is why I raw dog work as much as possible.
What else not to bring?
This list could be endless, however, the following probably sums up the major items not to bring.
- Paperwork
- Monitors or extra screens
- Work manuals, guides or other
- Printers
- Privileged materials
- Mouse mats and other accompanying peripherals
Final Thoughts
Working from a coffee shop is a great thing to do, when you bring a limited pool of useful items it reduces the stress of the trip, makes the commute to the coffee shop easier and helps you to find a comfortable working space.
Limiting what you bring, helps to create a productive set-up that will keep you working effectively and productively.
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