We sometimes take it for granted that we know where people are. They live in a certain town, that’s where their mailing address is, so that’s where they are. They might be at work certain hours on certain days, but their schedule is relatively consistent.
But a couple of things happened about a quarter century ago: The Internet and The Cell Phone. These two things have taken the world by storm and are changing the way we want to live. Notice I said ‘the way we WANT to live’? Yea, that’s because something is still holding us back.
One of the perks for my husband taking his current position was the possibility of him working remotely at some point. I’m a stay at home mom, a mission outreach pastor, and an online entrepreneur, all of which I can do from anywhere. In order for me to be able to stay home with the kids while my business is growing, my husband needs a job that pays enough. The catch is, the place we really want to live doesn’t have those ‘pays enough’ jobs so we are living in a really good place, but not THE place. I’m sure many of you can relate.
Our generations were raised with the notion to go get a college degree then find a job working 8 to 5 at an office five days a week with weekends off and a few weeks vacation each year. Now there is nothing wrong with this life path. Many, many people have followed it are living happy, successful lives. In fact, I loved college. I promised my husband when I graduated seminary that I wouldn’t go back to college for at least five years. That’s how much I love learning and growing and being challenged. I even loved my first real job post grad school. It lasted almost eight years and I had two great supervisors. I had an office and typical work hours most of the time, but I also spent a great deal of time out in the field.
I just want to rethink this life path because the reality is, it doesn’t work for everyone, and it shouldn’t have to! We have the means (The Internet and The Cell Phone) to not need to be tied to a place for a job. If you are a nurse, doctor, teacher, or mechanic, or etc. I get it…your work and place are intricately connected. But even then, there are traveling x-ray technicians, there are online courses and degree programs and K-12 school options.
I look at many jobs today and realize that much of the work could be done from anywhere because employees have access to each other instantly. I look at how much money goes into office buildings and banks and even churches and it baffles and frustrates me. Why? Bigger is better? I think it has a lot to do with control and trust.
Maybe employers feel they need to have control over their employees and have complete accountability for what they are doing. What would happen if they trusted their employees to work from home (or anywhere!) as much as possible? Now, some companies are embracing this and making strides in opening up the workforce. Major kudos to them! But the reality is, many are still not thinking outside the box, literally.
I’m wondering how this might relate to happiness and depression in society today. Or do people just need to suck it up and drive on at the workplace? Is there an argument for discipline? It takes discipline to show up at the office on time. It also takes a ton of discipline to get work done from home. I’m not sure what the answer is, but this is something that I’ve been dwelling on a lot lately. What are your thoughts?