Remote Means Freedom
You won’t give it away
Remote work is a dream for many. There’s no shortage of blogs praising its benefits. For employers, it means increased productivity, better employee retention and access to the global talent pool. For employees, however, remote work can be a life altering experience. Unlike any other job perk, lifestyle choice or habit, going remote-only gives an immense amount of life freedom.
An Alternative
The opportunity to work remotely has literally changed my life. As a fresh graduate, I was ready to get a “normal” office job. Probably in another country. It would mean 2 hours daily in a traffic between work and some small, overpriced flat. Instead, I stayed in the city I chose, where I could afford a nice apartment downtown. Didn’t waste a single second on commuting.
Jackpot
Two extra hours a day and more money due to lower living costs already boosted my personal freedom. However, it took me almost a year to fully grasp how awesome that was. The freedom to work from wherever opens the whole new lifestyle.
When I’ve finally met the love of my life, I convinced her to drop out of college and to go with me on a trip around the South East Asia. We explored in the day and worked in the evenings. We have seen a chunk of the world, we’ve had adventures — we spent all the time together. Not having to leave your loved ones for work is a priceless gift.
“But It’s Not For Me”
I’ve often heard the opinion that “working remotely is not for everyone and some personalities are simply not cut to work from home”. I would be devastated if I was diagnosed with such conclusion. All the sweet remote work stories, all the convenience and benefits rendered inaccessible for me. Forever. More and more companies are going remote-only — would it mean I must go extinct?
Well, I call bullshit. The ability to work from home is something you can learn, it’s not an inherent personality trait. It requires will and determination but it is surely doable. The first step is to understand how does the ideal remote developer look like. Then all you have to do is to become one.
For some tips on how to get there, read my next post.
