Sometimes it all comes together. It turns out my quirk is not all that quirky.

I pick up my business mail once a week, every week and I use that day as my personal me day. I often meet a friend at my favorite bake shop/cafe. Actually it is a bakery with a few tables and chairs, the great thing is they don’t toss you out when you are finished your coffee and bun.

Before I leave the house I make sure I have a book to read, a small notebook and a couple of pens. I have been known to take my laptop but for me that puts me back in the work mode.  Laura West of the Center for Joyful Business suggests that you pack a bag as if you were going on a mini-retreat, then head to a local café for some creativity time at least once a week. Here’s a list of items you could include:

Books. Bring something fun to read, something you find inspiring or relaxing.

Magazines. Bring your favorites for browsing for new ideas.

A journal. Bring whatever inspires you to write. Anything from a fancy leather-bound journal to a cheap spiral-bound tablet—whatever you’re most comfortable with.

Pens and markers in various colors. You don’t have to be an artist. The idea is to bring whatever inspires you to doodle and have fun.

Your laptop. Use it to capture the ideas you generate and then work on them later.

West can be found at http://www.joyfulbusiness.com