Mom and I arrived in California from Hawaii early last week, and I was surprised by how quickly I became productive. Some of that was planning, which I wrote about in my last note. But I realized something else was helping: I’ve made my environments in California and Maui remarkably similar.
My desks are nearly identical. Everything connected to my laptop works the same way, and I’ve simplified the cables so setup takes only a few minutes. We use the same Apple TV apps and accounts. The food in the kitchen is similar. Even the washer and dryer are nearly the same. We’ve also chosen medical and pharmacy providers that operate in both states, making those transitions easier as well.
None of these things seems particularly important on its own. Together, though, they eliminate a surprising amount of reorientation. When I arrive, I don’t have to relearn how to live and work there. I can simply get started.
If you regularly move between locations, consider making the environments as similar as practical. The less you have to reorient, the sooner you can get back to living your life.