On Saturday mornings, I head to McDonald's for work

Weekend shifts start at 7:00 AM.

7:00 AM on a Saturday.

I leave the house just in time for McDonald's to open.

My destination is not my office.
It's not like I've started a part-time job at McDonald's either.

Even so, in my mind, it's a proper 'commute'.

Lately, I've become a bit of a regular.

When I enter the store, the staff greets me brightly with,

'Good morning.'

I reply with,

I also say,

'Good morning.'

I reply.

Exchanging greetings, my Saturday morning begins.

Speaking of McDonald's, there's the 'smile for 0 yen'.

Receiving such a bright greeting first thing in the morning makes me feel a little more positive.

My seat is also pretty much decided.

There is a wall behind me.

It's a spot where it's hard for people behind me to see my computer screen.

Just like Golgo 13, I don't let anyone get behind me.

Though, what I'm handling isn't a gun, but a computer and articles for note.

My go-to order is the Sausage Egg McMuffin set.

For my drink, I get hot coffee.
I swap the side for chicken nuggets with mustard sauce.

That comes to 600 yen.

I spend about two to three hours there, keeping an eye on how busy the restaurant is.

Of course, if it starts to get crowded, I pack up and leave.

If I think I'll be there a while, I order another cup of coffee.

I chip in a little extra money, keeping the restaurant in mind.

While eating breakfast, I brainstorm ideas for my note articles or learn something new.

This is my weekend morning routine.

At home, a different switch flips.

I can write note articles and learn new things at home, too.

In fact, I do work at home as well.

However, if I'm going to spend the same amount of time working, I'm more efficient at McDonald's in the morning.

That's because there are no distractions around, and I've decided that 'this is where I work'.

At home, as soon as I feel a little tired, I end up lying down.

'I'll just rest for a little bit.'

That's the intention, but once I lie down, I start to get sleepy.

At McDonald's, a weekend switch that's different from my weekday one flips on, but at home, the switch that makes me sleepy flips on instead.

For many years, I've lived a life of leaving the house in the morning and heading to the office.

I leave the house.

I head to my usual spot.

I sit in my seat.

Just doing that naturally shifts my mindset.

On weekdays, it's a switch to get ready for the office.

On weekends, it's a switch to learn, write, and think for myself.

It's usually on Saturdays, but sometimes I head to McDonald's on Sunday mornings too.

I am now using the habits I acquired during my long career as a company employee for my weekend morning activities.

Buying a workspace for 600 yen

A morning McDonald's set costs 600 yen.

Whether you consider this expensive or cheap is up to the individual.

Even so, for me, this 600 yen is more than just the cost of breakfast.

A place where I can concentrate.

Time to think by myself.

And a switch to get myself moving.

I think I am buying my own workspace for 600 yen.

Isn't creating an environment where you can take action a form of self-investment?

I started going to McDonald's in the morning this April.

I wanted to start something new, and I also made preparations to start writing on note in this place.

I've kept it up for four months, and now it has become my Saturday routine.

Even if I cannot spend a lot of money, I can use small change to keep myself moving.

The 600 yen for a morning McDonald's meal is a small investment for me to keep moving forward.

A morning where I changed my usual set meal

However, the other day, right after I ordered my usual set, I caught sight of the limited-time Pokémon menu.

It was called,

"Tartar Demi Sausage Muffin Set"

The price was 690 yen.

Without a moment's hesitation, I immediately changed my order.

I intended to stick to my usual routine, but I easily gave in to the word 'limited' and Pokémon.

But, this was delicious.

Having these little pleasures is one of the joys of going to work at McDonald's in the morning.

The switch after quitting my job

I think that when I eventually do quit my job, I will need to gradually create an environment at home where I can still flip that switch.

If I were to spend every day lounging around at home the moment I quit my job, I feel like I would age rapidly (laughs).

No job.

No hobbies.

And, no money.

I don't want my retirement to be like that.

The time I spend writing notes at McDonald's in the morning and learning new things is not just for enjoying the present, but also preparation for building the person I will be after I quit my job.

That is why on Saturday mornings, I go to work at McDonald's.

Today, too, to switch myself on.

This is also an article about self-investment.

This is an article I wrote about the gym, which I continue to attend as an investment in my health.