Living the Remote Life

Life is confusing! Isn’t it? We envy what we don’t have, and what we have becomes worth pebbles. I started working remotely in 2017, way before when working from home was a thing. Friends and family were almost sure that I was unemployed and probably ran some scam racket and peddled drugs. They had no other answer on how I was staying at home, chilling and still getting a decent amount of money flowing into my bank account. 🤷‍♂️

It’s now standard, and everyone has tasted remote working or work-from-home (WFH). I’m now again titled a productive, responsible citizen of my nation, contributing to the GDP via fair means.

This post is not about other people but my reflection on my life. Remote work was something that I actively pursued, and when I finally had it, I did not see value in it. I’m looking for ways to avoid this and return to the office. Believing in my head that it will be better than what I have now?

Remote has a lot of pros when compared to in-office work. Of course, I’m by no means implying that it’s perfect. I’m not utilising the remote perks in the best possible way I should. Here are a few things I wanted for myself which made me choose remote life. Let me enlist them here to help remind myself.

1. Family Time

For many of us, returning home to our parents is not an option once we leave home for work; it is like a nestling that flees its nest and will never return. Remote has made it a possibility that was almost impossible in the past. I wanted to spend much of my time staying with my parents. Now, I also like spending time with my wife and kids. If I were an office worker, I would probably see my parents for a few days/weeks a year, and I may not be able to give my kid and wife as much time as I can now.

We sit in silence in the same room and continue to do our work. But the sense of the presence of family next to me makes it such a pleasant experience. I will also steal a few random kisses here and there (from my kid).

2. Pursue Hobbies

I could improve at many things, so I like to try as many new things as possible. I’ve been fascinated by swimming, badminton, running, shooting, book club, meeting new people, discussing technology & business and many more.

And I knew these things would never get prioritised if I were doing an in-office job. As my weekdays will be gone in the office and over the weekend, I’ll have to make time for family. And that idea was not something I liked.

Every remote work comes with a different level of flexibility. Luckily, mine is super flexible, and I can plan my day on my terms, and it’s such an undervalued perk.

I could quickly sneak in an evening coffee with a friend in town. Or plan daily swim lessons at 6pm, which I would otherwise have spent in a bus or cab or driving, returning from the office.

Now, if I don’t do anything about my hobbies and stay home all day. I’m bound to feel miserable and bored. This also triggers the FOMO that office life is better.

I need some work here!

3. Travel More

If you ask me to tell you about myself, travel will be mentioned at least once in the first 5 minutes. This is one thing I genuinely enjoy; who doesn’t?

I like to see new places, soak myself in nature and enjoy life at its best with a good brewed beer in my hand. I’m not going to add more fantasies here for my own well-being. 🥹

This is one thing I’m constantly doing, and I’m doing it right. My only suggestion here is to mix and match the kind of travel you do.

Travel with family, travel with spouse, travel with friends, travel solo, travel for business. Keep doing it, and have fun out of it. Don’t let it become boring.

I can also choose to live in any city at any time. It’s a superpower. ⚡️

4. Save Money

If you seriously calculate the amount of money you can save, working remotely is crazy. I stay with my parents, so it’s super crazy. Even if you don’t stay with your parents, you can stay at a location you prefer and reduce living costs compared to a tier 1 city.

This saved money can, in turn, fuel your travel and other passions and hobbies.

It could also push in the direction of the financial independence we all look for.

5. Minimise time waste

I absolutely hated commuting. In my first job, I paid 50% more rent than my colleagues. I was sure about one thing: I would not like to travel and would stay as close to the office as possible.

Some days, I used to wonder if my boss would offer me to take a space in the office and live there. I would have accepted that offer.

Saving a few hours daily enables you to do much more, like making time for family, working on a hobby project, or anything else.

Conclusion

Given all the perks of working remotely, many people still wish to be able to work remotely. A noble percentage feel remote is not for them, and I do not doubt their judgment.

In my company, we ask a question every Friday: “Do you feel remote working has more positive or negative aspects?” My answer is always more positive.

Till I continue to answer the same, remote work is for me, and I need to stay on top of it to ensure that I am making the best of it.

We meet our teammates during workations and team outings, and it’s a fresh, rejuvenating experience I look forward to, but will I give up these superpowers for anything else? Heck no!