The paradox of choice, is the idea that having more options can sometimes be a bad thing.
People can spend too long trying to choose, when the time would be better spent on something else.
^ Too many choices – source
In this instance, due to my work being “online”, I can potentially live and work in many places.
However, due to my family living in Southern England, I’ve decided to narrow down the search radius to this.
Whilst it simplifies things a bit, it’s still a large area.
So I set out to travel around Southern England and figure out where would be optimal.
^ Southern England – source
Oddly, the conclusion I’ve come to, and the reason for writing this post, is that I’ve realised the city matters less to me than the access to a good co-working space.
For example, I found that Bath was a really nice city. Small, beautiful stone buildings, cute town, not far from the sea…
^ The skyline of bath – source
However, when I checked for co-working spaces, there wasn’t a great deal of options.
For me personally, this could be problematic. I could get to Bath and then realise that I’m staying at home too much.
Whilst I can work from home productively, it results in social isolation.
^ Loneliness working from home – source
Co-working spaces give rise to the opportunity for conversations and making new friends… something I don’t get by staying at home.
This is particularly beneficial while I’m single. I think the equation starts to change when you have a partner, and even more-so when you have children.
For example:
- The place you co-work doesn’t need to have dating options once you have a partner
- You will already be getting a certain amount of social stimulation from your partner (and possibly children), so you need less from the external surrounds
So there we go.
I’ll say that it probably took me longer to realize this than it should… but better late than never!