This is Part 2 of my Divine Productivity Hacks series. Click here to see the other posts in the series!
I live on top of a hill in the rural outskirts of Boston. The scenery is gorgeous and the area is ripe with a generous community. In many ways, I feel incredibly lucky to be creating JesusHacks in this space because I feel it only helps my work.
Spirituality and work create such a tension where I live. They other day, I was writing in a busy coffee shop where the walls were (I kid you not) decorated with paintings dedicated to Satan. It was creepy, of course, but the space was also filled with holy conversation—people discussing their work and how it relates to God.
All this to say: I don’t think JesusHacks would’ve had the success it had if it weren’t created in this environment.
That’s how some work is: it thrives because of the environment surrounding it. However, the catch is, sometimes work-conducive environments just spring up out of nowhere; but other times, you have to build it.
An environment—according to Jay Papasan and Gary Keller in their book, The One Thing—is the combination of people and place. An environment, they say, must support your goals if you are to be productive in those environments. This doesn’t just mean make your space conducive to work, whether that means shutting your self in a basement somewhere. This means surrounding yourself with people who encourage your work.
It helps to see Jesus so intentional about the environment He builds around His work. First, He leaves towns better than when He found them. He heals the sick and spreads good news. Secondly, He surrounds Himself with friends who know and support His work.
Jesus understood the qualities of a thriving environment—His work reflected it.
We can be intentional about our environment in the same way.
Sometimes we can have the tendency of overlooking the benefits of being where we are. Instead we look to be somewhere else, and imagine, “If only I were there, then my work would be better.”
But I want to challenge you out of that thinking. This post isn’t about packing up your bags and moving to another, more productive neighborhood. It’s about creating that sort of environment around where you currently are.
Start first by looking at the people surrounding you. Are they supporting your work or are they naysayers? Do they actually know what you’re doing? If not, invite them into your work.
Also, take a look at the place you’re in. What benefits are there to living where you are? What does it look like for you to capitalize on your location for your work?
We are where we are for a reason, but while sometimes we have to dig for that reason, other times we have to create it. Decide where you stand with your environment.
Photography by Mikaela Hamilton
Subscribe to JesusHacks to receive more practical tips to improve your work and inspire your daily life, just like this post!