Article⎮Flexibility as the Future

The typical 9-5 has felt like it’s always been the norm, however, it’s actually quite a new way of living for us. The industrial revolution, specifically Henry Ford’s production line is commonly seen as the inception of the 9-5. It was put in place as a way to maximize the work a person could accomplish doing monotonous tasks on the assembly line. This is clearly not applicable anymore to how most of us work or hope to accomplish work going forward. Recently we’ve seen a generation of people (millennials) forced into adding sources of side income to this 9-5 schedule, due to salary/wages failing to keep up with inflation and the cost of living.

In addition to “invention being the mother of necessity”, the increased access people have to technology and social platforms has meant a boom in the creative fields. More and more people are finding creative and unique ways to turn their passions and skill sets into an income, which will result in more and more people doing work they actually enjoy, and therefore increased productivity.

An independent/flexible worker is a happy worker. This has been shown in a number of trial studies testing out the efficacy of a 4 day work week, (which you can read about here Tell Your Boss the Four-Day Week Is Coming Soon). Independent work is simply taking charge of this as an employee and implementing it for yourself. The number of hours one works is less important than the quality of work achieved in that time. Flexibility and the power to be your own boss make for the perfect scenario in which an individual can thrive in the work environment they’ve set out for themselves, and maintain health and happiness in their personal lives.

Platforms like Contra are becoming integral to anyone joining the workforce or adapting their position in it. What Contra can offer as an all-in-one solution is a godsend to those who have the creativity and ambition to be their own brand but maybe lack or “less than enjoy” the tedious framework of it all. Contra serves as a starting off point for anyone interested in independent work, its ease of use and emphasis on effective collaboration provide a platform for creatives that would otherwise be the responsibility of the individual to successfully accumulate.

Stepping out on your own can be a daunting and sometimes intimidating endeavour at the best of times, but with platforms like Contra emerging, the barrier to entry has never been lower. The shackles of Ford’s assembly line driven 9-5 work schedule are finally coming loose, and I think we can all agree society will be all the better for it.