Over the years, I’ve learned that most of my best work rarely begins at work.

It doesn’t usually start at my desk or in a conference room.

More often than not… it starts between sets at the gym, during a grueling cardio workout, on a long walk, or even in a busy coffee shop.

In fact, I wrote last week’s post about my scrappy parents while dictating it during an hour of hard cardio. 😳

One of the best pieces of work I’ve created at Amazon started in a coffee shop. I eventually opened my laptop to bring the idea to life, but the idea itself wasn’t born behind a laptop screen. 

I’ve found that movement fuels my creativity. Getting my heart rate up gives me a fresh sense of optimism and helps me see possibilities I might not have seen sitting at my desk. It’s also when my mind starts making connections it doesn’t make when bouncing from meeting to meeting or reacting to emails.

I’ve come to believe that producing our best work isn’t about where we work. It’s about understanding the conditions that allow each of us to do our best thinking. For me, that’s movement. For someone else, it might be a pottery studio, a biking trail, or a quiet library. The location matters less than finding the environment where our mind is free to create, connect ideas, and imagine what’s possible.

That said, I still see the value of being in the office, especially for collaboration, coaching, and relationship-building. But have learned that many of my best ideas and strongest work products are born somewhere else.

🏮 Sometimes the most productive thing we can do isn’t to work harder. It’s to create the conditions where our best thinking can emerge.