Yes, you heard it right the first time. Since 2019, I have been working completely remotely. While there are downsides, there are also upsides to it. I am not here to change your mind, just sharing my point of view:
Being 100% remote is not easy, but here are some tips I've gathered to make it work well:
- Routines build you: Remote work can be beneficial for sticking to your routines.
- Balance Personal / Professional: It’s important to build a balance between your personal and professional life. Press Pause when needed. Without clear boundaries, it can be challenging to disconnect from work.
- Commute-zero: One of the perks of remote work is not having to spend time commuting. This has saved me 18,000 minutes of sleep and free time that I have been able to invest in other things.
- Independence: Avoid feeling dependent on others and focus on your own objectives. This brings self-confidence to self-motivate you and your team everyday.
- Work at your own pace: I’ve learned that people are more productive when they work during their most productive hours. Some may find their peak productivity later than 7pm or earlier than 9am. Let them work when they're most effective.
- Chef Stephane: Thanks to Hellofresh and our determination, my wife and I cook meals three times a week! This can save a lot of money on delivery or eating out.
- Distraction-free: Almost true, if you don't count your neighbor, household chores, walks with the dog, sports, reminders, etc. You'll have fewer interruptions and distractions, especially if you're an organized freak like me.
- HR mess: From an external perspective, HR may seem easier with the availability of new platforms that facilitate remote onboarding of new employees. However, this convenience also opens the door for potential abuse of unlimited paid time off (PTO) policies promised by startups and scale-ups.
- Face-to-face interaction: Remote work brings a certain sense of isolation to both work and personal life. It's unfortunate that we don't get to meet and interact with the colleagues we work with every day, especially when some of them are located abroad. It can create a strange feeling, even though we may still be surrounded by friends and family.
- Work Hard, Travel Hard: That's my motto. I spend every dime I have on experiences, travel, and upskilling. My point is that by working hard during a specific time period, the best reward is to disconnect from all communication and travel far away from your routine.
- Procrastinating: Over time, being confined to a small Parisian apartment can be challenging, especially if you start postponing chores.
- Happiness: Yes, remote work has brought happiness in many ways. It brings joy to work at your own satisfaction, especially when the bar is set high.
- Support: Not being able to quickly access colleagues and resources (aside from Slack and Notion) can impede problem-solving and collaboration. That's why dailies, weeklies, and 1-1s are important for fostering communication and teamwork.
- Miscommunication: It happened recently. Remote work relies heavily on digital communication and trust, which can be prone to misunderstandings at difficult times.
My wife is part-remote and this lifestyle suits her well.
The 2-days-at-home format is common to bring flexibility to better manage expectations:
- Weekendies: Those who profit from these remote days to travel and work from anywhere.
- Relaxies: Those who profit from these days to wake up late, do house shores & cook at home.
- Routines: Those who profit from these days to get things done, just because at work, it’s difficult to focus, between the pingpong, pause café & brainstorming sessions.
The 1-month-off-in-summer format is also common for bringing joy. It offers various opportunities:
- Expats can return home.
- Families can go on vacation together.
- Serious candidates can intern, volunteer, or work freelance.
No, I am definitely not ready for that.
I have experienced the benefits of remote work and cherish the freedom and flexibility it provides. While there are challenges, such as the lack of face-to-face interaction, the advantages outweigh the downsides. Remote work has allowed me to establish a balance between my personal and professional life, save valuable time by eliminating the daily commute, and work at my own satisfaction.
I believe that remote work is here to stay, at least for me, as it offers different options for individuals to manage their work-life balance effectively and cater to their unique needs and preferences.
And you, with remote or without?
