What have I learnt in my first 2 years of working remotely? (SPOILER: Working on a beach is sh*tty)

Two years ago today marked my last day in an office job. Waking up every day at 6:45am to begin a toiling three-hour daily commute really took its toll. I wanted out.

(Me working on the Gili Islands! Terrible ergonomics...)

The digital world seems to support a whole host of freelancers and I thought it would be great to get in on that. Companies such as Buffer and Treehouse fascinated me. People were earning a living whilst working from anywhere in the world! After travelling a little through South East Asia before University, I got the travel bug and I’ve long had ambitions to head back there. However until now it seemed the only way to do that was by saving up, going “backpacking” for a set amount of time and then heading back to reality. But what if I could work whilst on the move? Soaking up exotic destinations whilst working from my deckchair on the beach? That’s the sort of stuff dreams are made of, and I wanted to make it a reality.

There would be some serious hurdles to overcome to live the dream, but with few commitments and a desperate need for a change of scenery I decided to go. Bags packed and one-way ticket bought, I flew to Bangkok. That was two weeks ago now and in that short space of time I’ve learnt a few valuable lessons. I’m still getting to grips with trying to live whilst on the move but here are a few of my findings so far …

You don’t have to be a developer to earn money remotely

The internet is awash with remote developer jobs. I even tried to learn how to code on Treehouse and Code Academy before I left London to get around this. I learnt a lot and developed a really strong understanding of what goes into the development process but the truth is, I’m just not that interested in coding at a professional level. It doesn’t excite me enough to pursue it as a career.

Exploring the world of online employment though brings up some interesting results. PeoplePerHour and Elance are prime examples of marketplaces where the online hustle can be seen in the open. Looking at what others were making money from online encouraged some deep reflection on what exactly my skill set is. I’m an honours graduate in Anthropology from a top UK University, why wasn’t I using this to my advantage? It took some time to actually understand that even my nationality was a valuable resource. Countless buyers were looking for native English speakers to help with editing, rewording of documents etc. Also my background in the recruitment space means I’m a dab hand at writing CV’s. Surely I could sell that too? Without even pushing myself, I was winning business and being approached with work. As a documentary fanatic I have experimented with video software in the past such as iMovie before moving onto more premium products such as Adobe Premiere Pro. The amount of video editing requests on PeoplePerHour is consistent, it’s something I’m going to be looking at more in the coming weeks!

Anyone can earn money online. The most difficult part is understanding what your strengths are and packaging them up as a service that can be sold. It’s difficult to back yourself, but inner-confidence is key. Don’t undersell yourself and have confidence that you can provide value for those that buy from you.

It’s difficult working whilst everyone else around you is on holiday

The beers are flowing, the music’s blaring and good-times are being had all round. However, you better not get carried away, you’ve got work to do. This aspect of remote working sucks. It is a huge problem that’s tough to overcome. I’m currently on the island of Koh Phangan in Thailand. It’s infamous for it’s full moon escapades and it is one of Asia’s original hedonistic party paradises. I like to party as much as the next person, but unless I want to be heading back to Europe a lot sooner than I’d hoped, I’m going to have to have some discipline.

I’m not going to lie to you, the first two weeks have been really tough. I’ve tried to not be too hard on myself as I appreciate I need some time to adjust. I feel torn. On one hand I want to really let loose and have a good time, but on the other I don’t want to burn through my money and I want to start working consistently. It’s a bit of a catch-22. It’s tough connecting with people here because they have different aims to you. You have the tourists who are here for their two weeks of sun who just can’t understand how or why you’d work here. Then there are the backpackers, living on a meager daily budget, staying in sub-par hostels and who are all about the “good vibes” without a worry in the world. It’s difficult to relate. I’m sure as the trip continues, I’ll cross paths with people on a similar journey but for now, focus is the primary objective. I’ve got to work towards the life I want and no one else is going to put in the hours for me.

A lack of high speed internet is a constant worry

My Macbook Air is my new workspace. Without internet connectivity, your money-making abilities are severely limited. Walking out of the airport terminal in Bangkok, the first thing I did was buy a local sim loaded with plenty of data, just in case the WIFI was non-existent. Luckily so far this hasn’t been an issue if I’m honest. Asia’s internet infrastructure has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years and in major cities it rivals speeds in Europe. It’s been a huge shock that even out on the islands, it’s not terrible. I even found some 20mb internet in a place I was staying on the tiny island of Koh Tao. Although it didn’t stay that way for long, it still did happen!

Connectivity is a constant worry but if you do your research and come prepared with enough data, you’re set. Also the development of many co-working spaces in Asia is quite exciting. I’ve yet to sample any, but when I head down to Kuala Lumpur and Bali in the coming months, I’m going to be lapping up the high-speed internet and the opportunity to mingle with people with similar aims to myself.

Working from the beach is possible, but not sustainable

It sounds idyllic, the turquoise water in eyesight and the warm breeze passing by. You will work harder right? Wrong. After trying to work on the beach a couple of times, I’ve found it is possible, but it’s not usually as pleasant as it sounds. With beaches come people and with people come distractions. When you are constantly faced with others relaxing it’s a bit of a de-motivator.

Logistically tropical beaches aren’t the place to do your best work too. The humidity and 35 degree heat sounds great, but when you’re sweating profusely, work is the last thing on your mind. Air conditioning is my friend here. The cold air keeps me awake and dispels the lethargic tendencies I have. The sandflies/mosquitos/general bugs are not and will annoy the hell out of you. Sand is a nightmare too. Have you ever got it underneath your keyboard? It’s so frustrating. The idea of working on a beach is great and if there are no other options, it can work. However for me, it just isn’t somewhere I can be as productive as I’d like.

Time management is the most valuable skill I have

I guess this is a problem that all freelancers must overcome. There are temptations all around and no one to tell you what to do. Your time is your own and it would be easy to take time out and put the work off. At the moment I’m in an exotic location with waterfalls, beaches and adventures to be had. But I need to be disciplined. When you need to work, you need to work. I’ve had to adjust to tackling things head on a little more, procrastination is not going to help me now.

In the same breath though, time has to be taken for exploring. It’s difficult to ease up on yourself, but one of the reasons I left the office environment was to have a better quality of life. I’m in a tropical paradise and it would be a huge shame not to explore whilst I’m here. I’m conscious I need to switch off from work and just enjoy life from time to time. It might not work for everyone, but I’m finding more and more that splitting my time into blocks is key. I need time to really get into a project and would rather work and have fun in larger chunks, it just seems to feel better that way. I hate working for an hour, relaxing for an hour, and working again for another two hours. I’d rather just work for 3 hours (with regular short breaks) and have time to relax after. It might not be your way of working, but you’ve just got to work it all out.

Who here works remotely?