Barbara Winter often refers to the importance of knowing what your natural habitat is, that place where you come alive and love to work and play.
She describes her own natural habitat epiphany like this:
After a long, frustrating hiatus from teaching, I had conducted my first seminar in months the night before. It had been even more fun than I remembered. As I walked away from the hotel, a little inner voice said, “Meeting rooms are your natural habitat.”
It took me a long time to recognize my natural habitat, although it was literally right in front of me my whole life.
When I was little I used to love to take my papers, pencils and crayons, pull a small stool up and sit at my mother’s big vanity. I used to love to draw and write while sitting there.
When I was sixteen I got my first desk. It was a drafting table, but I used it for everything, drawing, writing, reading. I loved sitting at my desk.
When I entered the workforce I resited what I considered women’s work, which was anything related to nursing, teaching, or secretarial work. In reality I was resisting everything I loved.
It was such a strange experience when I took my first office job in my early thirties. Sitting at a desk, using a computer, with papers all around me felt like coming home. I think this is one reason why I was so successful in my last career…I got to sit behind a desk all day and work.
I even used to set up a folding table in the living room so I could work from, but I’d also use it to read and write. It just felt natural.
It’s pretty obvious by now that my natural habitat, the place where I come alive, feel the most creative and love to work and play is sitting behind a desk, especially my own desk.
It took me a long time to recognize my natural habitat, but when I did it was the most amazing ‘ah-ha’ moment. I could almost hear the angels singing (and cheering).
A few years ago when my husband and I remodeled our two spare bedrooms into his and her home offices I knew exactly what I wanted mine to look like and I knew exactly what kind of desk I wanted.
Here’s a snapshot of my home office and desk today…
Today I am fully embracing my natural habitat and preferred way of working as I begin creating a designing the next phase of my self-employed life.
This is a snapshot of a small section of the mindmap I was working on today…
And, this picture from a magazine several years ago captures perfectly the joy and fun I want to feel every day while sitting at my desk working and playing, surrounded by papers, projects, books and electronics (love the casual dress code, too)…
Now you know what my natural habitat is, I’m curious, what’s yours? Share what your natural habitat is by replying and posting a comment.
I am like you. I love being behind a desk and computer..BUT, it needs to be MY desk and computer. My own turf. Behind someone’s else’s desk and computer (employer) has become like a prison sentence. There’s something very liberating and empowering about having your own space.