Human interaction is the key you are looking for. We have discovered that our employees all work better when regular visits are paid to the workplace or office. Your end customers are your point of contact in the world and are the most important resource. Your fellow employees are (or should be) your friends and allies.
Suggestions:
* Do at least some of your work in a busy traffic space. Don't under estimate the value of the background noise in the local Starbucks with a WiFi net. Alternate cultural feedback is essential to keeping your mind alert to reference frame changes, fashion and local music trends.
* Cultivate a disconnect between your personal and social life and your work. Your sanity is important and constant or continuous exposure to your closest significant other(s) can eventually wear out your creativity. I worked with my wife in a business many years ago and we mutually decided to call that aspect of our relationship a bad trade off. We now have a house rule that after 6 PM, no business is discussed, even though I find her career incredibly fascinating (archeology) and she believes mine to be a quite mysterious (ecommerce), there is no question that our relationship has been dramatically improved because of this disconnect.
* A deep rut may not be necessary, but getting into a small one may prove to be quite beneficial. > Regular visits to the corner tavern can awaken the those inner mental needs to connect with your fellow human beings, even if you don't like the beer. > Phone the boss at least three times per week. This will do you both a world of good, even if your progress reports are nothing short on changes.
* Set limits on your daily schedule. Our work schedule is limited to less than 4 hours per day on the computers. After more than 20 years of screen burn and several bouts with burnout, I can attest that more than half a work day is very trying on the eyesight, no matter how good that new monitor may be. I limit my personal office time online to 2 hours and page development time to less than one hour per day. My feeling is that web page writers should not do more than 4 hour stretches in any 24 hour period. You younger folks will probably not do this, but,... you will too soon learn...
* Take a cab or walk to work or to the market or to the library. Read the billboards, window shop, take a look around. Driving yourself around is not conducive to cultivating good peripheral vision. Tip the cab driver.
Slashdot Mirror
Human interaction is the key you are looking for. We have discovered that our employees all work better when regular visits are paid to the workplace or office. Your end customers are your point of contact in the world and are the most important resource. Your fellow employees are (or should be) your friends and allies.
... you will too soon learn ...
... more, if you wish.
Suggestions:
* Do at least some of your work in a busy traffic space. Don't under estimate the value of the background noise in the local Starbucks with a WiFi net. Alternate cultural feedback is essential to keeping your mind alert to reference frame changes, fashion and local music trends.
* Cultivate a disconnect between your personal and social life and your work. Your sanity is important and constant or continuous exposure to your closest significant other(s) can eventually wear out your creativity. I worked with my wife in a business many years ago and we mutually decided to call that aspect of our relationship a bad trade off. We now have a house rule that after 6 PM, no business is discussed, even though I find her career incredibly fascinating (archeology) and she believes mine to be a quite mysterious (ecommerce), there is no question that our relationship has been dramatically improved because of this disconnect.
* A deep rut may not be necessary, but getting into a small one may prove to be quite beneficial. > Regular visits to the corner tavern can awaken the those inner mental needs to connect with your fellow human beings, even if you don't like the beer. > Phone the boss at least three times per week. This will do you both a world of good, even if your progress reports are nothing short on changes.
* Set limits on your daily schedule. Our work schedule is limited to less than 4 hours per day on the computers. After more than 20 years of screen burn and several bouts with burnout, I can attest that more than half a work day is very trying on the eyesight, no matter how good that new monitor may be. I limit my personal office time online to 2 hours and page development time to less than one hour per day. My feeling is that web page writers should not do more than 4 hour stretches in any 24 hour period. You younger folks will probably not do this, but,
* Take a cab or walk to work or to the market or to the library. Read the billboards, window shop, take a look around. Driving yourself around is not conducive to cultivating good peripheral vision. Tip the cab driver.