In this post(?)-pandemic age, a lot of us work remotely. But just how remotely do you work?
Coffeeshops and hotel workstations are a step up from WFH, but you can push your office to much greater heights.
I’ve worked from the crag before, in Zoom calls and writing code in the shade at the base of a cliff, then climbing when otherwise I’d have taken a coffee break. I have colleagues who’ve worked from the side of a mountain after an epic hike. I know people who have logged in from ferries and planes, campsites and cars.
How do we do it?
First, the obvious: make sure doing this isn’t going to get you fired. This requires more than just a remote job but a truly flexible, remote-first job. Signs that your job might support this: flexible hours rather than a strict 9-to-5, a very distributed culture (ideally all over the world, so timezones aren’t an issue), and coworkers who are used to asynchronous work. Steps you should take before doing this: settle into a new role for a few months, chat with your boss about expectations and communication, and make sure you’re capable of focusing in a variety of situations.
Second, the logistics: when working super-remotely, you need the same two basic things as you always need to get remote work done — your computer and your network connection. I use a TMobile 5G hotspot, which gives me great coverage all over the US and reasonable coverage in much of the world. It’s not as stable as broadband, but it provides good backup when my Airbnb or hotel wifi goes out, and allows me to work anywhere I can get coverage.
Third, the process: decide where you’ll be working, which can’t quite be truly anywhere (would not recommend working from a kayak, for example). You’ll need shade and shelter, because you can’t see your screen well in the sun and you really don’t want your work laptop getting soaked by the rain when you’re far from anywhere to repair it. I don’t put much thought into ergonomics when working in a beautiful remote place, because chances are it’ll be for just the single day. But do make sure you’re not going to hurt yourself.
Finally, the wrap-up: even if you’re able to get lots of work done in a beautiful place, there will probably be some things you can’t do without an extra monitor or the deep focus of a private room. Make sure you budget your workday (or at least your workweek) to give yourself a chance to balance. It definitely takes more effort and planning to still be productive when working this way.
I’ve found that by working extremely flexibly, I’m actually able to get more work done — and more of everything else. I’m happier than when I spent all my time in the office, get more exercise, and spend my breaks climbing boulders or going on jogs instead of scrolling through Twitter. Staring up at a clear blue sky and listening to bird song does a lot for working through a tricky bug or calming down when stressed.
But also I can’t do it all the time. For every day out in the beautiful world, I spend two at a dining room table. It’s key that you experiment and find what works for you. Oddly, I can’t focus at all in a coffeeshop or open-plan coworking space, but I work just fine in the quiet corner of a climbing gym or outside in the woods. I learned this the hard way by trying to take meetings from a cafe and getting totally distracted by the chatter around me. You’ll learn some things the hard way, too. If your experience is anything like mine, though, it’ll be worth it.