I’ve never been huge on resolutions. I get the appeal of making a change at the new year because it’s easier to track time-wise, but I typically don’t make actual resolutions. This year though, I’ve decided to try to change some habits this year. Like writing. And while finding things to write about, I started looking more at myself.

So today I had a few realizations. Like I enjoy starting my day with a workout, rather than waiting until the afternoon to hit the gym. If I wait until after work, I end up not wanting to do anything after I shower. Or I skip the gym because I have plans that night.

I also found out today that a change of scenery can go a long way in the creative process. I worked from a coffee shop earlier today and completed a project for work. Getting out of my usual workflow got me out of a rut.

The third thing I figured out today is that I don’t actually need a creative team to work with every day. When I took a job with an entirely remote team, I was worried how I would handle not having a team around me at all times. What actually happened is I realized I don’t need to work in an office to be productive—the opposite actually turned out to be true. I get less done at the office. I start working later because of distractions. And I’m perfectly capable of doing my job without socializing with people during the work day. And without the need to look busy when you’re not.

I keep reading about millennial work horses, how we never take time off and feel like we need to be at work earlier and leave later than our older counterparts. The flexibility to change work environments gets around this unnecessary pressure we put on ourselves. The benefit to my work-life balance is not lost on me. It’s also my responsibility and no one else’s if my work doesn’t get done. I feel like I get more control over my work than I did before. Don’t get me wrong, I still collaborate with my remote team. But I’m also not unnecessarily bombarded on a daily basis, which has helped my work immensely.