Lessons from the Lake
A couple of weeks ago I worked from the lake house in Michigan. You could call it a workcation, which is when you work from a location away from your normal workplace and hopefully, the location has a holiday feel to it. On a summer weekend the lake can be busy and loud with lots of activity, but during the week things calm down and it’s peaceful, relaxing, and the sounds of nature are palpable.
As I worked through the week, I started to identify a few things that helped me improve my productivity and effectiveness because of working at the lake. Following are some valuable insights I learned.
The value of clearing your mind – On a typical day working from my home office, I begin with morning exercise, then afterward I grab a cup of tea and head straight to my desk to begin working. Occasionally, I find that my workout has helped me achieve mental clarity, allowing me to approach the day with focus; on other days, however, distractions arise during the commute between the fitness studio and my office. When at the lake, I prefer to start my mornings outdoors, enjoying a cup of tea while overlooking the water just after sunrise. This practice enables me to clear my mind, resulting in improved clarity and a stronger ability to prioritize and complete essential tasks throughout the workday.
A change in perspective can boost clarity and creativity – A different view may give you a different perspective on the challenges you face on the job. When I’m working on my computer looking out at the water, I am more aware of my surroundings and more in tune with nature. When you see a mama duck waddling by with her ducklings or see a fish jumping out of the water or hear the birds singing, it can spark creativity and create a calmer environment. During my week at the lake, I handled a stressful meeting with more clarity and found solutions to the issues more quickly than I would have in my usual office.
A different environment may lead to better focus – I observed an increase in my ability to focus on individual tasks while working at the lake. This improvement may be attributed to fewer distractions, a greater sense of calmness and restfulness, or the peaceful quietness of the lake. In any case, I maintained consistent focus on completing each assignment before beginning the next, rather than shifting frequently between tasks. The bonus was finishing my to-do list—and more—each day.
The importance of self-care in cultivating a positive mindset – As I already shared, I make it a priority to exercise each day before commencing my workday. During my time at the lake, I maintained this routine by engaging in outdoor activities such as morning kayaking, evening swims, or midday walks. Participating in these health-promoting activities outdoors helped to enhance my mindset. Additionally, leisure activities in my personal time, including reading, playing cards with neighbors, or observing wildlife by the water, contributed meaningfully to my mental well-being.
As the Baldrige framework shares, high-performing organizations foster a culture characterized by high performance and an engaged workforce. Personally, a change in environment for a week led to improved performance and greater engagement in my work. Lessons learned from working at the lake highlight the value of adapting to one's workplace setting. For those with the opportunity to take a workcation, it can be a beneficial experience; working in a new environment offers unique advantages. Alternatively, integrating certain aspects of a workcation into the regular work environment may provide similar benefits.
Margot L. Hoffman, Ph.D.
President & CEO
The Partnership for Excellence
