Are we working differently enough? Does it matter?

This post is an adaptation from the Remote Works community newsletter.

A few years ago, after taking a Covid-19-induced travel break (remember that?!), I found myself once again staying as a resident at a coliving for digital nomads—a mecca for remote workers, with 20 location-independent full-time employees, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and creatives under one roof.

We all shared a common living space, activities (including many rounds of Cartographers and juggling lessons), and meals while working together throughout the day. In the bell curve of remote workers, this community would be clearly labeled 'early adopters" well before the whisperings of Covid-19 entered our vocabulary.

Naturally, I am ecstatic to be around "my people" again—those who question assumptions, dare to live differently, and share perspectives about flipping the script around work.

As I settle in, though, I quickly realized my mistake: just because people can work from anywhere, it doesn't mean they are working differently. At least, yet… I wonder if these digital nomads have merely traded in a cubicle for a cool coworking space. After all, mountain views are better than views of a parking lot, right?

I observe my peers working mainly Monday to Friday, from nine to five, packing the weekends full with hikes, climbing trips, brunches, and more. Yes, there are family lunches where people might stop to play a quick board game before jumping back online. Still, the idea to switch off completely for a lazy morning in the park is met with an automated, robot-like response, "I work best in the mornings," and convincing a group to plan a Thursday day trip in favor of a Saturday workday is met with debates on whether it is worth taking a Thursday off work to skip the crowds.

I'm not asking people not to work (I also found myself with a lengthy to-do list to knock out, a workshop to facilitate, for example), but rather, I want to switch how and when we work. Even in this early adopter crowd, I feel that work is still king.

But what I don't fully understand is why this bothers me.

After some conversations and much self-reflection, I realize everyone has different comfort zones and routines regarding how to approach work and life. For some, working wherever is enough (and whenever matters less); already this life gives many benefits from the major change that is office life.

In the evolution of full flexibility, freedom, and focus, most remote workers are only starting to question assumptions and learn how they best work. I only wonder what would be next.

Reflection Questions:

1. What benefits of remote work do you value the most? (e.g., location freedom, time freedom, ability to focus, etc.)

2. How can you maximize those benefits in your life? What boundaries and priorities do you need to set?

3. What have you done to unlearn your automatic response to work? What experiments can you try to restructure how you work?