The first Monday morning I started working-from-home in 2011 looked exactly like 'going to the office' minus the commute. 

I logged in at 9 AM because of 'normal business hours' at a desk set-up in the corner of my living room with dual monitors and a docking station for my laptop. 

It was an exact replication of my desk set-up in the office. 

This structure felt reassuring and familiar. And defaulting is easy. 

But what is the point of working remotely? What if I wanted to leverage my remote work lifestyle to grow professionally and personally? 

What if I wanted to reimagine what and where and how work looked for me?

Well, that requires a growth mindset. And mine starts with the stem of a question. 

How Might We…?

On a dark October evening in 2012, I walked into a Design Thinking 101 workshop that changed my life with a simple, yet powerful, framework. I've used this thousands of times since then to the point that it's muscle memory. It's a launching pad to explore and imagine what might be. 

The Question:

1. The 'how' leans into action by assuming a solution exists. It's not asking what the problem is or why is this challenging but instead asks for an approach to solving it. 

2. The 'might' lends itself to exploration without commitment. It's built in permission to be non-attached to the outcome. 

3. The 'we' centers the power on the person or team asking the questions. It's not about how somebody else might do this thing. It's what we or I might do. 

How to Use This:

1. Consider the challenge, need, or problem you are trying to address.

A new dynamic at work. A different view. More interaction with other people. Acquiring a new skill. Shifting how you work or what you do. 

What challenges are you trying to address in your work and life?

2. Frame the challenge as a How might we/I question.

Aim for the goldilocks level of broadness versus specificity when phrasing the questions. Be careful about overloading the question with multiple challenges at once. 

• How might I leverage my remote work lifestyle more? 

• How might I grow professionally? 

• How might I leverage my remote work lifestyle to grow professionally? 

• How might I cultivate new friends and connections? 

• How might I build new skills to shift my career?

• How might I explore the world while working remotely?

3. Ideate by answering the question. Write down a lot of ideas. More than you are initially comfortable with. Way more than are feasible or realistic. 

4. Narrow and select a few to try or explore further. How might you integrate bits and bite-size pieces into your week?

Follow Your Energy

Curiosity isn't random. It's a compass. I'm constantly leveraging my remote work lifestyle and following my energy to explore, learn and grow. 

I still have a home office. And I have a portable version too. 

So, how might you thrive remotely?