I was surprised by the effect, but a fresh coat of paint in the stairwell of my office building made a big difference.

That brief preface to my entry into the workplace — as I approach the threshold — it matters.

I always do a little mental prep before arriving to work. I hadn’t anticipated how a simple improvement in the last stretch of my commute could help me set my intentions for the day.

How can we tend to those last few yards (both physically and mentally) before we enter into our work … to set the stage for positive productivity?