When I first started traveling full-time, my friends and family thought I was nuts. “You’re going to get sick of it,” they’d say. “You can’t be productive if you’re not in the office.”
They couldn’t have been more wrong. As more and more companies allow employees to work remotely, even the skeptics are embracing the idea of working while traveling. So, if you’re interested in making remote work part of your lifestyle (or want to see what it’s all about), read on!
Technology has transformed the way we work
The ability to work from anywhere, any time, on any device, has become a reality for most people, which is why remote work is booming. Gone are the days of long commutes or times spent in an office away from family and friends.
Remote working gives people more freedom to travel, settle where they want, or stay close to their loved ones while earning an income. With numerous companies offering remote positions as part of their company culture (with some even requiring it), it’s fast becoming a viable option for anyone who wants it!
Remote work offers considerable benefits for both employees and employers. For employees, it provides a flexible schedule, better work-life balance, and the ability to travel frequently. For employers, remote workers can be located anywhere in the world and are often cheaper than an office-based employee due to lower overhead costs.
But, of course, new challenges are appearing for employees and employers alike, and both are adapting to the new way of working. I’ll cover a few unique challenges I encountered in the last four or so years working remotely.
Working while you travel is easier than ever
How often have you been in a situation, sitting in the office and daydreaming about far-away, exotic locations? But you know it’s too far, and you need more vacation time than you have. For me, it used to happen all the time, and I decided to change that. I have a lifetime goal of visiting 75% of countries on Earth. I asked myself all the time, how can I achieve that goal, working a 9-to-5 job, sitting in an office? What is making me do that?
The company UN1QUELY, where I work, has a hybrid culture. It means you have offices available in Novi Sad if you want to work from an office, but it’s optional. So, I decided to make the best use of it and start traveling and working simultaneously.
Remote work means working from anywhere, not only in your living room or backyard
After the Covid-19 pandemic started, I saw multiple ads for job positions where the company says that you can work remotely but only from your home. UN1QUELY way of working is more than just working from home. It’s the ability to work anywhere in the world if there’s an internet connection and a laptop.
We can see remote workers on beaches or parks all around the world who connect with their teams through video calls (such as Microsoft Teams) and use collaboration software like Microsoft Office tools to share information and projects seamlessly across time zones.
When I say working from anywhere, I mean it to the letter. For example, I once had a daily meeting knee-deep in the sea. Standing in shallow water and discussing with my colleagues.
Remote work requires you to be at time management
I often hear the question, “How can you work and be a tourist simultaneously?”. It’s not an easy task; I must be honest. One must be good at time management with this kind of arrangement. My daily schedule might look like this:
· Breakfast
· Working for 4 hours
· Lunch
· Sightseeing
· Working for 2 hours
· Dinner
· Working for 2 hours
· Nightlife :D
As you can see, I managed to incorporate the tourist element into my daily routine. Of course, this is individual. You must ensure that no one feels the impact of you not being present during the day and working in the evening. In other words, it’s required of you to be a good team player, to always think, is anyone dependent on me, on my work? If not, then you can plan your schedule as you like. Sometimes, when I go sightseeing, I receive a notification that I need to handle something urgent. It happens. Nothing is perfect. You need to find a balance that works for you.
Remote work requires you to be a good communicator
There’s a lot of talk in the world about remote work. It’s an increasingly popular trend among companies and employees alike, but what does it mean to be a remote worker? And how do you ensure that your team can effectively communicate when they’re all over? What separates them from those who work on-site is that they don’t have a set schedule and location at which they need to be present — they can choose when and where they want to work each day (or night). This freedom allows them more flexibility than traditional 9-to-5 jobs while still allowing employers access to their services throughout the week without having someone on-site.
What does this mean for communication between team members? A lot! Communication is critical in any project or organization but becomes particularly important when everyone isn’t working together under one roof. When used effectively, tools like Slack allows teams across different locations or time zones to collaborate seamlessly on projects with ease by making real-time updates and archived information available whenever needed.
Taking breaks and exploring is essential, even on a tight schedule
You’ll be surprised just how much better you feel when taking regular work breaks. It’s not a matter of getting up from the computer and going for coffee or taking a walk around the block. Both are great, but there are plenty of other ways to give yourself a break.
I always felt so refreshed after going to the bar to take coffee (even if it was just 10 minutes to buy coffee and come back). If I was doing something that required my full attention, hanging out with friends and drinking coffee would be an excellent way to recharge before returning to it again. That is the opportunity you do not have when working a 9-to-5 job.
Worldwide internet access isn’t guaranteed or cheap
There are a few essential things to remember when planning your trips. First, the internet could be less reliable than you might think. If you’re planning on working remotely, you’ll need to ensure adequate internet access wherever you go. This can be challenging and costly. Some countries have internet restrictions, so you must use a VPN if your company is not already using it for its internal security. But again, even if it’s the case, you have a VPN, those countries might block the usage of VPN apps that you use.
Second, the cost of living can vary depending on local prices for groceries or rent. If your goal is saving money while moving every month or two, consider locations in Europe or Asia. Rent tends to be much cheaper than in North America or Australia/New Zealand (although transportation may become more expensive). For me, Europe is in the middle with price ranges and internet availability, and I had the opportunity to visit and work in many countries.
Your remote office setup doesn’t need to be permanent, but it does need to be comfortable
If you work from home or a bar, you know it can be uncomfortable. The chair is chipped, or the bar where you work is too noisy. You may not be able to set up your space exactly how you want it, but there are ways to make your remote office feel like a place where you can concentrate and focus on getting stuff done.
Ask yourself these questions:
· Where do I spend my days working?
· Do I prefer natural light or artificial light?
· Am I near a window?
· Is the location noisy?
If you feel uncomfortable working from a bar or park, there are affordable coworking spaces that can be paid for daily. If you need a meeting room, you can rent one as well.
Going remote can benefit your career, your company, and yourself.
Remote work has become one of the most popular trends in the modern workplace and for a good reason.
A common misconception is that you must be able to work remotely because of your job or company, but this is only sometimes the case. Numerous people choose to work remotely as a lifestyle and find that they can better focus on their work when not surrounded by an office full of distractions or drained by commute. It’s also helpful for those with families who live far away from them, allowing them to spend time with their family members without having to commute daily.
A company can benefit from having employees in multiple places worldwide. Benefits include time zone availability and being able to do live meetings with clients or prospects without the need for business trips. The company where I work UN1QUELY supports us by having working from anywhere policy.
Working remotely doesn’t mean you’re a freelancer.
From time to time, people say to me that remote working means I’m a freelancer. That is not true! Company culture defines that. Some companies use a remote work policy to avoid having company culture defined. UN1QUELY tries to provide you with both opportunities to work from anywhere and be a part of rich company culture.
Here’s what you should know about remote work.
Remote work is a way of working that allows you to be productive from anywhere. It’s not the same as telecommuting or working from home, and it’s not for everyone.
The truth is that remote work can be very appealing, especially if you’re already looking for ways to travel more. But there are some things you should know about before diving in headfirst.
It will initially be challenging, requiring a different work-life balance than the office. Mind that adjusting to this way of working can take up to three months. At the start, you even might feel less productive or overproductive. It’d be best to listen to your feelings because of your mental health. You can easily have burnout moments which is something that for sure you should avoid.
Conclusion
You might be wondering if remote work is right for you. For some people, going remote is a natural progression of their career. But for others, it’s a way to give themselves more freedom and flexibility. It all comes down to what kind of lifestyle you want to have and what your goals are as an individual or company. As long as you have access to technology and an internet connection (both becoming increasingly available), there are many ways that remote work can benefit both parties involved in an agreement.
P.S. What is your experience with remote work? Share in the comments.