My #WorkAnywhere Wednesday

[Lindsay Daniels (Lindsay_Daniels)]

It’s a sunny day, 75 degrees without a cloud in the sky. I’m sitting at a small table near a row of floor-to-ceiling windows which are wide open so I can feel the light summer breeze. I can smell freshly baked bread and the clinking of cups and saucers, the strong scent of espresso lingering in the air. While this sounds like my ideal relaxing Sunday activity, it’s not. It’s a typical Wednesday in the office for me.

I’m sitting at my favorite local café in Prague, just steps away from the Vltava River. I open up my laptop and suddenly I’m transported to the office. How is this possible? Thanks to awesome technology (and essential high-speed internet) I am able to do my job from anywhere.

My favorite coffee shop to work from in Prague, equipped with free Wi-Fi, wall outlets and decadent lattes. Not pictured: friendly locals and a wonderful staff who have taught me much about the culture here.

Remote Work for Increased Productivity 

Remote working is nothing new to me. I work on a globally dispersed team and certain members of the team work from home part-time and fulltime. However, I’ve recently taken remote working to a new level: for the next 12 months I will be traveling all over the world, to a new city each month, working remotely the entire time. While the benefits of remote work may seem obvious to people like myself, here are a few facts for the non-believers: people who choose to work remotely report higher levels of happiness at their job.  This study found that 72 percent of businesses reported increased productivity as a result of flexible working practices. And finally, a survey from the Global Leadership Summit in London found that 25 percent of business leaders said they anticipated that more than three-quarters of their employees would not be working in a traditional office by 2020. That’s only five years away.

Now, I know my situation isn’t exactly the norm, but my experiences of being able to work from anywhere and remotely are definitely universal. The bottom line: having the power to work from anywhere puts me in control of my environment and to create a work style that is best for me. This varies from day to day, but the beauty of being able to work from anywhere means that I get the freedom of choice—something that is so often lost when you’re required to be in the office from 9 to 5 each day.

When I needed a quiet few hours to get some writing done, I went to the beautiful and historical National Library of Prague. The next day, I had several calls and needed reliable Wi-Fi and a private room where I could talk without interrupting others, so I worked from a coworking office space. Later that week, I had to be on late night video calls and didn’t want to take the subway home alone after dark, so I took the meetings from my apartment. The result: I was more productive, focused and comfortable in my environment.

Ask yourself: how much time would you save if you didn’t have to commute into the office every day? What could you do with that extra time? Maybe you’d have more time to sleep, exercise or spend time with family.  How much happier and more productive would you be at your job? 

In the end, the freedom to work anywhere isn’t really about where you work, but how you work. The fresh pastries and sweeping views are just an added bonus.

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Where is your favorite place to work remotely? Have any tips on how you like to #workanywhere? Comment below and let me know! Also share your photos on social media by using the hashtag “#workanywhere”