I think we skipped spring.  In only a few days the snow has mostly disappeared, and the yard work that is usually done in about plus 10 degrees Celsius, with a toque, because, well, wind, was finished this year in plus 20 degrees, in shorts and tank tops.  One unfortunate thing about the sudden heat is that no one (around here) expects it, I was soaking it up and entirely failed to remember that I burn relatively easily.  So, day one of sunshine also meant the first sunburn of the year.  But, these beautiful days pose another challenge, especially after the exceedingly long winter, finding the motivation to sit inside and work.

When these summer days roll around it can be hard to stick yourself in the back office and try to ignore the beautiful day.  If you are able, I think the best way to stay motivated during these days is to take your work outside (another reason I think physical textbooks are better than etexts).  Combine enjoying the nice weather with getting work done: it means no guilt! No guilt for not working and no guilt for missing out on the weather.

Working remotely means that I get to work from home.  I have the option to work outside, which I don’t want to toss aside after so many years sitting inside at work and looking, longingly, at the beautiful weather.  All that time spent just waiting for my shift to end so I could go out and enjoy great weather while it lasts (because around here, these days are often too few).  So, I tried to take my work outside and work on the deck, but the unfortunate thing with a lot of technology is that the screen is nearly impossible to see in any kind of sunlight.  I tried to sit in the shade and read off my tablet but all I could see was my face squinting at the screen.  I resigned myself to going back inside and working for a few hours, then going back out and soaking up some sun for a short break.  While it should be possible to work outside, technology can make that difficult.  With my new computer, I made sure to buy one with a screen that didn’t have the high-gloss look that most seem to.  The matte screen means that, for computer work, I can take it outside.  But, for reading, which is what I spend a lot of my time doing, it was nearly impossible and certainly not efficient.

There was no way I could read with my face squinting back at me in the screen.  I needed to find a solution to the problem.  I didn’t want to look for another tablet with a better screen because that just felt wasteful, and the thought of trying to switch over gave me anxiety.

I posted my “issue” on Twitter, asking for input, because where else would I go? While I got no responses, I started to think, I can’t be the only person with this problem.  So, I did a search for matte screen protectors, and such a thing exists! I didn’t care if the anti-glare matte screen protector was the right fit for my tablet, I would cut it down if I had to.

Sometimes the best thing you can do to motivate yourself to stay on top of work on these beautiful summer days is to make it possible to be outside working in them.  Set up a comfortable work area and make it so anything you need is accessible in the bright daylight.  I wish I could say that this tablet problem only started now, that I resolved the problem within days of noticing it.  However, this is something that has bothered me for awhile, before now I just sequestered myself inside.  Sometimes the solution to our problems it simple, and cheap.

But, of course, by the time the protector arrives the sun will probably disappear, but at least I will have it for the next stretch of beautiful weather.  So I can sit outside, work, and be free of guilt.