Ah, the comfort of sitting in cool casuals, sipping a cuppa, and idly browsing work emails. While sitting on a yacht. Sailing peacefully. Or, on a beach in Thailand, sipping a Mai Tai. That’s what people thought remote workers do.
Reality Check—2020 Shift
Then of course certain dark events happened in 2020. You know, when large swaths of the world’s office-goers were locked in. Everything was shut, chaos reigned supreme, and everyone learned that Instagram is a lie.
No, remote working isn’t slacking off, showing up 20% to work, and making money for ‘doing nothing’. Sadly, as the pandemic waned, many businesses returned to the mentality that remote workers don’t really work hard. And yes, this archaic view finds itself rearing its ugly head in the futuristic time frame of 2023.
My last in-office job was in 2018. Let me break it down for you:
- 9 am: I brave the Churchgate fast local. All hail the Mumbai Western Railway system!
- 10 am: I fight the footbridge traffic and traverse the tiny alleys of Lower Parel.
- 10:15 am: I arrive at my office, drained of energy, usually in an okay mood
- By 11 am: I’ve ‘settled’ in, tried to stay out of petty office politics, and finally get an overview of my day
By this point, I’ve been awake for a few hours, traveled for an hour, and left for work at 9 am sharp.
- 1 pm: I fight my cravings and browse khau galli like an adult who has any self-control
- 2 pm: I stand outside with the tobacco admirers to do ‘team building’ and take in 2nd hand smoke which I don’t want
- 4 pm: Did everyone break for tea? Oh no, another meeting which could be an email…..
- 5 pm: I, along with most of my coworkers (especially those from Virar/Vashi) start planning our way back
- 5:30 pm: I can’t wait to leave
- 6 pm: I leave. I fight the same crowd of ladies on my way back home.
- 8 pm: I reach home. Tired. Unwilling/unable to fulfill anything humanly human.
A day in the life of my current 2023 job:
It’s not even the timetable. It’s the discipline. It’s the freedom of knowing I’m making the moves here.
It’s about…..Mindset. I don’t have an angry manager breathing down my neck. I’ve heard stories from all genders about how one petty co-worker took away their will to work/passion/ability to be productive.
I don’t have that. I approach work with a lightness that can’t be disturbed by unreliable public transport, traffic, road rage, petty office gossip, fights, constant chatter, other people’s smoke breaks – nothing.
I carve my routine and I stick to it because it makes me happy. And, because it keeps the lights running.
Build your discipline before you enjoy the perks:
Stick to the routine, because it makes work much more approachable. I divide my days into 4 equal quadrants, and I make sure (an exception to the rule: emergencies!) to keep to them.
My home office may not be in a grand skyscraper anymore. It’s quiet and quaint, surrounded by my art.
But, having my home office somehow fuels my drive EVEN more. It’s not sitting in a depressing cubicle, it’s about contributing to work, across the distance.
Making a mark without being there.
And, without anyone reminding me about deadlines or this, that, and the other. I’m just thankful for this role, which lets me flourish remotely. And trust me, I’d do anything to ensure my quality continues to astound.
