I like to maintain, organize and keep things tidy. My life and my apartment reflect this. I like to stay on top of things, and hate surprises. If I get an unexpected notification then its cause for alarm, and that’s how it should be. If everything is urgent and demands immediate attention then its already hopeless.

Changes should be slow and careful. Moving fast and breaking things is for toddlers. Every action should be purposeful, well-thought out and made with intent. I like to be pre-emptive and anticipate the outcome.

I am fortunate enough to have a really nice apartment with a garden and a kitchen I love to use, so my preference for remote work is a given. I like to get up often, move around and do something else while I’m working on a problem. This could be anything: doing the dishes, prepping lunch, doing pull-ups, yoga, benching. Maybe go for a run or shoot some hoop and get groceries on the way back. This is great for overcoming blockers, and there is a reason I setup a home-gym during the pandemic. Commuting to anything is an absolute waste of time and I hate it.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of working remotely is that I can control my focus time because my little bunker is really quiet, there are very few random noises, distractions or people snapping me out of flow. It’s very clean and there are no unpleasant odours, only delicious ones because there is always something cooking. I really, really love to cook. The whole process is a ritual and a form of meditation and I enjoy every part of it: shopping for ingredients, prepping, even washing the dishes is zen. There are only upsides.