Hello guys, Is it true that working remotely speeds up your side project work? I currently work in an office environment and some days the work is minimal, but I can’t work on my side project because your co-workers keep visiting your desk frequently and when they see that, it doesn’t reflect well. No one questions you but it has been a stereotype that in an office environment it’s unethical to do so. While working remotely, you get this independence provided you get some days of minimal work. Is that so? Does anyone do that?

Part of this I think is the misconception on remote work. It varies wildly, but it is also just as likely that you experience remote guilt and work more. In an office, you can show up on time, so nothing productive all day, and go back without much guilt. Nobody bats an eye either if there's no pending work or if the work itself is a slog. When you work remotely, on days you don't have anything productive to show, the entire day turns bad. You can not spend time on other stuff without having a sense of guilt. We live by reputation. Some of us have never met our employers and vice versa, and some of us did not even have an interview. Not producing and delivering work can be percieved as a personal fault even when it isn't. You feel a pressure to deliver, to maintain and improve your reputation. People don't see your working hours, only the deliveries. Just the other side of the coin. You can have a lot of extra time to work ob your side projects, or you can also feel the above mentioned guilt and pressure. It's not all roses in remote work.

@tall-postman-9284 So glad to know that others feel the same. If you don’t have a productive day, it does spoil your day 😕 I have been having a slow couple of weeks and that is quite infuriating because you feel guilty about not producing. I’d rather have defined work which I can wrap up quickly and then hit my side projects. On days in which I don’t have work or minimal work, side projects suffer as well due to the guilt. 🤷

The easy answer is yes. Having control over your schedule and environment increases your shipping capacity ( both for your main job and side project ).

I have always believed in the saying, “It’s better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” It’s a way of life. It’s not about abusing situations but about knowing when to push the boundaries.

I always believed that remote work allows me to push the boundaries a lil bit 🙂 That said, one has to have some rules. You can’t stand on two boats at the same time 😅

Short answer is, yes!