Working from home started out pretty rough for me. No exercise, gaining weight, and other issues plagued me. Then slowly something started happening. I started getting used to it.
I am clearly a creature of routine. I like to let my mind wander as I take a shower, brush my teeth, etc. I can be on auto-pilot as long as my routine is consistent. I guess it doesn’t matter what normal becomes as long as I have a routine, I can get used to it.
There are lots of companies that are remote dominant. Invision (Go Ben!) is 100% remote. They developed lots of techniques to make it work. I suppose they are adjusting better than most to the pandemic. Let’s make a list of pros and cons of remote-dominant work policies.
| Topic | Remote | Onsite |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiting | ✅ Get people from all over the world. Better cost of living for workers. | ❌ Only within driving distance. Creates urban clusters. |
| Commuting | ✅ Walk downstairs | ❌ Sit in traffic or train. |
| Thinking time | ❌ Need to force it | ✅ During commute |
| Environment | ✅ Clearly better. Less driving | ❌ We have a crisis on our hands |
| Meetings | It’s different, but let’s call it a tie | I like face-to-face, but it’s often difficult with people in different locations anyway. |
| Productivity | I miss looking over people’s shoulders, but Figma and Slack makes it decent. | Minus the commute time, I think it’s a tie. |
| Connectedness | It’s not terrible. We play Pictionary at the end of the day and eat lunch with each other once a week via zoom. | ✅ In person is better. But I still have the same problems with the same people. Slight win. |
| Mental intangibles | ❌ Maybe I will get used to it, but I feel sluggish and mentally dull. You can see my blog has been quiet because I haven’t thought if anything interesting. | ✅ Maybe this will change, but I felt sharper and more creative at the office |
Hmm, now that I list it out, it confirms my suspicion. Remote working isn’t so bad. If I could play tennis (the doors are still locked!), I would probably be pretty happy. I am mostly unhappy because I CAN’T go where I want. But once the restrictions are lifted, I wonder if it might be good to stay remote.
What other factors should weigh into this?
It’s alot to think about.