Gone are the days when your job made up the bulk of your identity. Thanks to remote work, you can now run into lawyers/artists, and tech workers/writers. According to a survey of over 585 Americans by venture capital firm Worklife, 70% of employees picked up a side project that they are serious about during the pandemic. According to the study:
Remote work has made the side project feasible: 76% of respondents said they had been thinking about their side project before the pandemic, and 78% said having a side project was one of the main benefits of remote work.
The side project takes time: 37% of workers said that they spent a quarter of their time on the project, while another 15% said they spent half of their time on their side project.
Side projects aren’t just hobbies: 77% of respondents said these projects were passion projects. Almost half of respondents said they hoped the project would one day replace their day job.
They’re replacing how we think of our identities: 70% of employees said their job was the main focus of their identity before the pandemic; now only 52% feel the same way.
“We’re witnessing pursuit of happiness on a scale never seen before,” Worklife founder Brianne Kimmel stated.
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