On the Daily Writer Podcast, we just concluded a series on clearing the digital and physical clutter from your work area. Now, we will begin a short, week-long series on why you might want to consider upgrading your home office or looking for one outside the home.

First, a little background. I was a college professor for almost two decades before becoming a ghostwriter, author, and writing coach. Every day, I commuted 25 minutes to school and 25 minutes back home in the afternoon.

That commute, as well as having an office outside the home, was so baked into my life that I didn’t realize how much I’d miss it when I started working in my business full-time a couple of years ago.

Working from home was fun at first. I’m saving money on gas! I can work whenever I want! I can work in my pajama pants if I choose! (Except for Zoom calls, when I would frequently have a dress shirt on top… and pajama pants on the bottom.)

But over time, especially in the last six months, I started to feel like a prisoner in my own home. Even introverts like me can only be cooped up for so long before you start to lose a sense of reality.

I had been looking for an office outside the home for a while. Then a few weeks ago, I came across a listing on Facebook marketplace for an office just down the road from my house. It was exactly what I had been looking for, so I signed a lease and moved in immediately.

Since getting a separate office, I have felt a real breath of fresh air in my mental health and mindset. I’m more focused and productive, and I’ve been able to set better boundaries on my work time.

In this short series, I want to share my experience in getting an outside office and help you think through five important factors to consider when upgrading your current home office, or getting one outside the home.

Just so you know where I’m coming from, let me shoot straight with you. I believe the idea of a bohemian “laptop lifestyle” for writers is highly overrated. Yes, you can skirt around to different coffee shops all day long, getting a little writing done here and there, but that’s not how most true professionals work. You need to have a time and place to write, as well as a routine to help you get the work done.

Your writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes place in real time and space, and within the context of your busy life. The area where you work matters greatly.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s episode, where we’ll dive into the most obvious factor you need to consider when thinking about an office space.

Today’s Challenge: Ask yourself whether you’re really content in your current writing space. Is it time to consider an upgrade or a move?