Why work anywhere?
Working anywhere is no longer exclusive to the young and the footloose.
Remote working doesn’t mean choosing between staying put in a good job and selling all your possessions and moving to Thailand to run a web design agency.
Working anywhere means different things to different people.
Sure, for some ‘working anywhere’ might mean a work schedule that involves international travel. But for many people – perhaps most – working anywhere means working from home. Or from the coffee shop. Or from your mom’s house.
You can work anywhere, be a digital nomad, and yet rarely leave your town. It’s your choice.
Working anywhere is a term that encompasses all of these flexible working schedules.
Anywhere is where you want it to be.
Flexible work and career compatibility
Can your job be an anywhere job?
Increasing access to flexible working options is a mega-trend that is slowly, irreversibly affecting our working lives.
Some jobs are more obviously suited to ‘anywhere’, but that doesn’t mean most jobs can’t offer greater flexibility.
Indeed, as flexible working is normalised and collaborative technology continues to improve, more and more jobs at more and more companies will be suited to working anywhere, at least some of the time.
Knowledge work is easiest to shift to a work anywhere pattern. When your job is to collaborate and create, many elements of this process can be completed anywhere.
Choosing to work where you are most creative should be your right. And, with greater productivity, for you and for everyone in your team, your employer benefits as well.
If you’re thinking that your employer won’t be sympathetic to this, remember that working anywhere doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. One or two days a week at home – or anywhere you choose – can dramatically improve your working week.
When you are happier you are more productive. When you are more productive your work improves. The logic of working anywhere is clear.
Remote jobs vs going solo anywhere
How do you find a remote job that allows you to work anywhere?
There are three options:
- Shift your current job to an anywhere job
- Find a remote job
- Make your own remote job
This list is presented in order of difficulty.
In many countries, the request of flexible working is now a legal right. But more importantly, as people like you ask for flexible working it is increasingly becoming the social norm and not a legal issue.
By demanding flexibility, you are part of the future. Don’t think you are ‘being difficult’ when you question your existing employer’s flexible working policy.
Talking to your employer is the best first step. Do you know their policy? Do they even have a policy? There are plenty of resources out there to help you prepare for a discussion on flexible working.
If you find that your employer is not at all supportive, vote with your feet and find one who is. More and more location-independent jobs are opening every day. Job searches are never fun, but working flexibly has the potential to change your life for the better.
Find your community
Will you be lonely when remote working? Don’t let yourself be.
Before you take the plunge and work anywhere, lay the groundwork.
Who is already working in this way? You need to build a community for yourself. This might be team members in the company you work for, but these contacts are likely to be within an online community.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that because you work anywhere you must digitise your entire life, including friendships. That misses the whole point of work flexibility.
Once you become untethered from your office desk, you should seek to develop more offline, meaningful relationships with friends and family.
Remember, working anywhere is about freedom and control. It’s not about becoming a slave to the internet.
When you work anywhere, connectivity is key
Can non-tech savvy people work anywhere? Absolutely.
Every job is different, and it’s important to note that remote work isn’t just for technical jobs in tech startups. You don’t need an engineering degree to work anywhere.
The fundamental requirement for working anywhere is connectivity. Your work becomes harder to complete, perhaps impossible, without it.
Infrastructure – the availability of fast, reliable internet – is always improving, but you need to plan your working schedule around a reliable connection.
If you choose to work from home, connectivity is easy enough. If you choose to work on the road, you need to think carefully about what work you need to accomplish, whether it requires a faster connection, and plan accordingly.
Getting things done when you work remotely
Working anywhere can bring new challenges.
The traditional, tethered office throws up endless distractions and meetings. When you work wherever you want, these distractions change their form rather than disappear altogether.
With increased working flexibility, you need to understand what it takes for you to get things done and take steps to eliminate any impediments to completing your best work.
You can’t blame your lack of productivity on your noisy co-worker anymore!
Clarity on your work tasks and their deadlines is vital. Over-communicate with your team so that expectations are clear. In this way, working anywhere is more honest and transparent; people can’t hide behind ‘presenteeism’.
The work that you complete matters, not where you do it.
Can you work anywhere?
Yes.
If you want greater flexibility in how you work, you are perfectly entitled to ask questions of your employer or create a role for yourself.
Once you have the working structure in place, then it’s about getting things done in practice. Our tools are designed for use by distributed teams.
They have been created with the particular needs of remote work in mind so that they can facilitate working anywhere for everyone. Have a look and decide whether they might help you attain additional flexibility at work.
We want you to work anywhere. It’s our mission.
Interested in going anywhere?
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