Ligita's Future of Work

“Let me tell you how I found an additional 15 hours in my week” sounds like the beginning of some life hack, but it isn’t. When Singular bravely marched into the ‘future of work’ during the covid-19 pandemic by allowing it’s employees to work remotely, I quit my part-time job: commuting. Claiming back 15 hours from being sandwiched in-between sweaty, grumpy commuters on a train that’s always late while dreading the walk from the station to the office in the cold relentless British rain, has been life changing. 

Those additional 15 hours have shown me not only what a true work/life balance looks like, but how flexible this balance can be too. For admittedly, some of the saved time has been given back to just work. Big project with a short deadline? Need to catch up with a colleague who is only available late in the evening because of timezones? Not a problem. I found it so easy to work these into my day without the hour and half interlude of commuting, or staying behind in an emty office disappointed to have had to miss your usual train and therefore, dinner and precious time with loved ones.

I also realised working from home is actually where I do my best work: I’m fortunate to have a quiet dedicated work space at home where I can take calls uninterrupted (or having to book a meeting room) or just focus on a task at hand without the general chatter and distractions of an office. My job provides plenty of conversation with both colleagues and prospects, so working from home has never felt lonely or isolating. 

But perhaps most importantly, the majority of those 15 hours has remained free to allocate to whatever else that’s important outside of work: family, the home, friends, hobbies and above all self-care. It is impossible to overstate the impact of this for me. It’s allowed for all the musts of daily life to be done (cooking, cleaning etc.) and still leaving plenty of time to just live, whatever that entails for you. For me it’s taking walks, baths, content creation for my Instagram or just extra long binges of Netflix. It’s meant that I could make the dream of living in the countryside a reality and live where I truly feel happy. 

Monday-Friday used to feel like it was “work to live”, remote working is definitely of the “live to work’ variety. The time claimed back from commuting and my quiet home office have become sacred spaces in my life that I’m so grateful for and am now fiercely protective of. They are what let me live my best life while doing my best work.

Thanks Singular!