I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, I just knew that I wanted to be happy. Happiness comes in many different ways, and, depending on the person, happiness can mean many different things. For me, I learned that a large part of my happiness depended on my work environment (especially since so much of my life [and everyone's lives] is spent working). While I haven’t always had a job that has allowed me to work from the happy place of my choice, I’ve managed to make the space I’m working in a happy one. Now that I work for myself, I find that my happy place is the simple fact that I can work from so many wonderful and inspiring locations. Whether you’re like me and you work for yourself, or you spend your days in a cubicle, you too can make any work space a happy one. Here are a few of my tips for creating a happy work environment, no matter the location:

Inspiration // My favorite thing about being able to work from wherever is the creativity surge that a change of scenery brings. Whenever I’m feeling unmotivated and I’m lacking inspiration, I head to one of my favorite spots, Brooklyn Bridge Park. If the view of the majestic New York City skyline doesn’t spur some major creativity and motivation to work harder, than I don’t know what will. If you work in an office, keep motivational pictures around your desk (i.e. quotes, places you want to see, goals you want to achieve, etc). Also, make sure you step away from your work at least once a day and head outside or even to a different part of your office building. The movement and change of scenery will do wonders for your mind and body. (And if you just can't get away from your desk, a few of these never hurt ;) )

Multiple Writing Devices // Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE my lists and I love writing things down EVERYWHERE. Before I head out the door to get my work done, I make sure I have multiple ways to write down lists, notes, emails and articles. My HP Stream 8 Tablet with Intel Inside® has Office 365 (free for one year) so I’m able to type things up in Word wherever I am, and, of course, because I can be super-old fashioned, I also like to have a few notebooks, a pad of sticky notes, and a good pen.

Little Touches // I know you’ll never believe this (I mean, I don't write a weekly "Happy Hour" post or anything...), but I’m all about the little things when it comes to being happy. A favorite candle, a warm latte, fancy notecards, a small treat from a favorite bakery, all of these things seem small and insignificant, but they go a long way in making your work space a happy one. When I’m headed to the park to work, I bring along fun notebooks (like I mentioned above), a cute tote bag, a bright lipstick, and, while I'm on my way, I love to grab a treat (or two!) from my favorite bakery, all of which are things that could easily be applied to someone who works in a traditional office setting.

Motivational Stories // Another thing that makes me happy while I’m working, is to read inspiring stories or interviews and listen to music and podcasts (this is one of my favorites). Not only are these things motivational and inspirational, it also makes me happy to hear about other people who are happy about their work. Because my HP Stream 8 Tablet with Intel Inside® has free 4G data straight out of the box, I’m able to read these articles and stream podcasts or music wherever I am, be it my happy place of Brooklyn Bridge Park, while I'm traveling to my next destination around the city, or, if I worked in a cubicle, right from my desk.

I'd love to know, where is your happy working place or how do you make your work space a happy one?