Productivity and being mobile

One of the things I've always liked about being a freelance writer is the ability to work wherever.  Of course a lot of experts recommend creating routines and sticking to them for the best productivity -- including where you get your work done -- but of course life doesn't always cooperate.  And I actually find that sometimes I work better if I change my scenery, especially if I am feeling stuck for some reason, or if I've lost momentum on a project.

I know for a lot of people this doesn't work, because they feel too distracted when their routine changes, but for me this is easily distracted with music and headphones.  I don't know what it is about the change of scenery that helps me, but I likewise find that if I go elsewhere to work too often, it actually backfires and stops being helpful.  A good example is during NaNoWriMo, when I go to lots of write-ins throughout the month.  For the first couple of weeks, I find it really helpful, but as the month wears on I become more easily distracted by the opportunity to socialize.

In any case, today I was reminded of how sometimes being flexible with where you work can help you to get things done in unlikely scenarios.  I had to have my car worked on, and while it was in the shop I hung out in their lobby, enjoying their free wifi (although I wasn't quite as appreciative of their too-loud TV).  It was nice to have the ability to still work, even though I wasn't able to be at home.

Although my productivity faltered for a little while there, I've felt like I've been getting back on track in the past week or so.  I've been knocking items off of my to do list left and right, and although I did have a lot on the list (meaning I still have plenty I need to do), it feels good to be productive again.