Escape the Office - Get the Freedom & Control you Crave - Udemy

COVID-19 has pushed remote work to the forefront of public discourse, causing an unprecedented impact on business and life. Like thousands of others, you may be working from home for the first time. And although adjusting to this new way of life might feel awkward, I believe after tasting the freedom and autonomy of remote work, many of you will resist the call to return to your office.

My name is Peter Fritz, and I’ve worked remotely for over 20 years. Working from home can, and likely will, change your life (regardless of the current global pandemic).

As soon as I began working from home it was a life-changer. In the years since, it’s allowed me the time and flexibility to see my kids more – to attend daytime school performances, to take care of them when they’re sick, and to just ‘be around’ more.

It’s also allowed me to work where, when and how I choose – whether that’s in my beautiful home office, a lakeside park bench, or in my car as I tear up a mountain pass in the Victorian High Country.

It’s made me a happier, calmer and more effective person.

Work/life balance is a tough nut to crack, but once you choose how to work, it becomes a whole lot easier.

Escape the Office helps you build a compelling case for a permanent remote work arrangement to present to your boss - either now, or after the Coronavirus is over. It's designed to get (and then retain) the independence, freedom and control you crave.

By the end of the course (which you can complete in a weekend), you'll have the best chance at working from home permanently.

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The biggest obstacle to the FREEDOM and CONTROL you want is your boss.

Escape the Office is an easy, self-paced course that tilts the odds in your favour. It gives you a clear plan that’ll soon have you working where you want, and your boss thanking you for showing them how.

The fact is, most of us work in a way that doesn’t align with who we are or how we should work. We’re boxed into old constructs that no longer serve us – they’re remnants of the industrial age, where everyone gathers under one roof each day like glorified factory workers.

Working from home (and the half-dozen other places I work) is the best work/life decision I ever made. It’s improved every aspect of my life – giving me the freedom to live and work in a way that supports my life, not one that dictates my life. I want you to have that kind of freedom, too.

Once your boss green-lights your request to work remotely, you’ll be able to:

• spend more time with your family

• pursue a side hustle

• write that book or start a blog

• save money

• indulge in a hobby

• reduce stress and anxiety

• produce better work at your job

• improve your physical and mental health

• learn new skills (in your current industry or a different one)

• help your parents

• invest in your community

What’s more, the effects will compound over time, opening up all kinds of opportunities for you in the future, because each benefit enhances the next, making you happier, less stressed, more productive and a lot more optimistic about life.

Here’s what you’ll learn.

Escape the Office includes a well-researched 38-page workbook that walks you step-by-step through your own personal escape plan. If you’re keen, you could finish the whole thing in a few hours over a weekend. I recommend spreading it out over a week, so you can really think about your answers.

Six videos augment the guide – one for each section, plus an introduction and a wrap-up. Critically, Escape the Office also includes a draft escape letter, with spaces to add the elements relevant to your unique situation.

Through the guide and the videos, I walk you through the six crucial checkpoints listed below. Together, they put you in the best possible position to pitch your employer and get a resounding “YES!”

1 | The Lay of the Land

• Here, you’ll learn how the modern workforce is changing; what it means for you and your employer, and why the news is good for both of you.

• We dissect and overcome the fears many of us feel. This isn’t feel-good fluff, but practical material that’ll make you confident to move forward.

2 | The 5 Elements of an Effective Escape Plan

At this checkpoint, I introduce the five essential elements of a stellar escape plan:

• Get clear on the objectives and outcomes – for you and your employer.

• Give evidence to support your case, including technologies you can leverage.

• Provide assurances around being accountable, reachable and productive.

• Document how you’ll work – the environment, metrics, tools and practices.

• The trial request, where everything is distilled into a compelling escape letter.

3 | Build your Case with Data

• Rather than have you Googling till the early hours, I’ve done the hard work for you. This section contains compelling stats from respected sources to back your mission.

• Unless your boss sees the benefits, you’re unlikely to succeed. Here, you’ll learn about the huge benefits available to employers who adopt remote work policies.

• As an added assurance, you’ll also get some insight into remote work trends and where it’s all heading.

4 | The Q & A – Your Personal Escape Plan

• This is where it all starts to come together in a guided, fill-in-the-blanks section for drafting your personal escape plan. Using what you’ve learned in the previous three stages, I ask key questions about your situation and how it relates to the data you’ve collected and the outcomes you seek.

• Your responses to the questions in this section ensure nothing gets missed, and they inform the content within your own escape letter.

5 | The Escape Letter

• Finally, we use your personal escape plan from stage 4 to create your escape letter.

• A well-researched and properly structured escape letter shows your boss you respect their time, you value your job, and you have everyone’s interests at heart. It delivers a genuine win-win.

• As an added reassurance, I will check your letter for structure, style, pacing and grammar before you hand it to your employer.

6 | If They Say No – Overcoming Objections

• Objections can arise, and so in this section, I walk you through a dozen of the most likely ones and offer rebuttals you can try. You might use some of them to deal with potential objections in your escape letter before they arise.

• In the end, most objections are a veil for ignorance or fear of the unknown. Your job is to illustrate as succinctly as you can (and in a language your boss appreciates) the many benefits they stand to gain from allowing this to happen. A brief trial usually puts their concerns to rest.

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For some of you, Escape the Office will be exactly what you need, and working remotely will change your life in ways you never imagined. It might even save your life, just like it did for me.

But like most things, you won’t know for sure until you give it a go.

So I say embrace it. Take the course, complete the guide and draft your escape letter. What awaits you on the other side is a life with more time, less stress, more harmonious relationships, and the flexibility to explore new paths.

You weren’t born to spend your life inside a cubicle staring at TPS reports or yawning through another bunch of PowerPoints. You were born to do things you’re proud of; to explore a little, to be curious, to live.

My wish is to see you inside Escape the Office and to see you living and working on your terms. You have nothing to lose if you try, and everything to gain if you succeed.