Coffee Stops

I think; therefore, I coffee.

For a while now, I’ve been working from coffee shops a few times a week.

I started doing this because I found it hard to stay on one task when I worked from home. I’d sit down to work and end up checking messages, opening new tabs, or jumping between small tasks.

Going to a coffee shop helped more than I expected.

I usually bring a notebook, order a coffee, and plan to stay for about an hour or two. Before I go, I decide on one thing I want to work on or think through. I don’t try to do anything else while I’m there.

In that setting, it’s easier for me to stick with what I’m doing. I’m not near my usual distractions, and there’s nothing else competing for my attention. Once I sit down, I tend to just stay put and work.

Over time, I noticed that some coffee shops were much better for this than others. Some were too noisy, some felt uncomfortable, and some made it hard to stay for very long.

So I started keeping a list of the ones that worked well.

This is a growing list of those places around Metro Manila. So far it's mostly Makati, BGC, and Alabang. The coffee is good, and the space makes it easy to sit and work or think for a while. It’s not meant to be a review or a ranking. These are simply places I’ve gone back to.

If you have a coffee shop in your area that you enjoy working from, feel free to message me and let me know. I’m always interested in trying new places.