Debunking Digital Nomad myths - insights from Tulum beachfront

Digital Nomading, like the click-bait titles of articles about them, offers an enticing opportunity that beckons to the adventurer in us all. Whether it's the promise of exploring new places, experiencing different cultures, or simply breaking free from the shackles of traditional work, the allure of this lifestyle is clear.

Starting with some definitions, while the past 3 years have given all of us a crash course in remote working (along with remote learning and remote loving), digital nomading usually refers to a lifestyle choice vs. a specific time-bound circumstance we've all been in. While definitions may vary, the concept typically involves working remotely while traveling, allowing for a level of freedom and flexibility that many find appealing.

"Digital nomads are defined as people who choose to embrace a location-independent, technology-enabled life that allows them to travel and work remotely, anywhere in the Internet-connected world. Unlike regular remote workers, who tend to stay in one geographic area, digital nomads travel and explore while working." MBO Partners report on Digital Nomading

In recent years digital nomading has transitioned from a life preference of specific few privileged single millennials, who tend to cultivate an Instagram persona that justifies world travel, to a choice more and more people of varying background take, forecasted to reach 1 billion by 2035 in America alone according to Forbes .

There's no wonder it's becoming so big, as It encompasses both "having the cake and eating it too" along with an option to act on the feeling that there is a much better "there" out there, that life might be that much better when lived in an exotic location.

In recent years I've spent several months a year traveling the world working remotely and flirting with digital nomading. At first, as part of my job in management consulting at 麦肯锡 , and now as an independent consultant working with leading organizations around the future of work and heart-centered workplaces. Recently I've decided to actively and consciously experiment with nomading as a lifestyle, while working from Tulum, Mexico. Here are some of my recent learning and unlearning from the first month:

A. No, you're not on vacation - After a few weeks here, friends who arrived about the same time I arrived in Mexico, shared their experiences in the 4 crazy natural springs, 3 pyramids, 10 day trips, and 7 cities they visited. I was like "Well, I went to a pretty spring right outside my house the other day". It took some time to adjust to this, as the surroundings are beach clubs and tropical scenery but this lifestyle is NOT like vacationing. Despite the temptation to make endless plans, most days have work to be done, making them quite similar to what they look like back home: get up, do the morning routine, then open the laptop and get to work. Just here, instead of having a night out in the city there's a cool resort next door and instead of going to the usual workout place, I try the Jungle Gym with bamboo weights before opening the laptop (or at least say I will, then end up not going - just like back home!)

B. Boundaries: or the work-life balance paradigm: As a work-life balance enthusiast, I used to swear by my strict set of rules and boundaries that have helped create a well-being dynamic that felt good - "no meetings before 12 PM" being one of my favorite one granting me a start to the day on my own terms. But now with the new time zone along with this rule allowing only a few hours of work during late EU hours, my old habits have been put to the test. I've been forced to rethink what I've already researched and experimented with what works for me: my Needs, Must-Haves, Energizers, and Non-Negotiables. Suddenly, my "Sunday half off for planning" left me with a 4-day weekend, which sounds amazing but has left me wondering, is this really what I want to optimize for? it's a reminder that finding what works for us is an ever-evolving journey vs. a clear finalized idea to live by

C. Beyond the obvious - blessing in disguise: While 德勤 , suggests that time zone differences have a negative impact on most employees, I have discovered it deep beauty in it. At 5PM my time, most of the people I communicate with have gone to bed, which creates a space like no other. Rather than constantly responding to emails and messages, which allows a dive into Deep Work and taps into my creativity. It truly is difficult to resist the urge for instant gratification and the dopamine rush of shallow work, but now, no matter how many messages I send, no one on the other side is there to through the ball back at me, so I am forced to experience the beauty that comes from emptiness. This article was written during one of these moments, with the sun still shining but no distractions to pull me away from my work

D. Remoting when your business is people - I'm not a software developer or graphic designer or any of the professions that comprise 54% of digital nomads. Most of my work consists working directly with my clients, people I'm deeply committed and connected to, whom I have personal relationships with. Much of my work revolved around in-person retreats and events, so transitioning to connecting only online, while on the other side of the world, required openness and creativity on both ends. This might seem obvious, but when taking into account the fear of lossing business or that clients won't want to accomodate to my lifestyle change, it's easy to try to please but end up upsetting. I learnt the hard way that if I don't operate from that fear, but instead commit to full honesty, upfront clarity and setting expectations on both ends we can think together about creatively about how to make things work. This, combined with choosing to work with incredible humans, is what wins the race.

E. You're still you, even on a beautiful beach - I was originally thinking of titling this piece "if you're anyway asking existential questions and constantly debating where your life is headed, you might as well do that on a tropical beach", but I had a hunch it might not be as catchy. You know those nights when there’s nothing less you want than being with you? They still happen here. It's not a magical fix to things that aren't working, and whichever thought patterns came up before will continue to emerge unless something other than the surroundings change, or at least until they have run their course, location agnostically. It does however provide input that I might not otherwise come across, setting me outside of my usual interactions, information, and engagements, and with that allowing for new insights to emerge. So it's still me, just more cross-pollinated.

Summary

All things considered, I'm finding this lifestyle has been working for me so far when looking at both the micro-personal aspect and the macro-societal dynamics. On the macro level, I see the combination of economic slow-down including recent layoffs, the rise of gig economy, and employees' reluctancy to commit life to a job, inevitably changing the way we engage with work on a deep level. On the micro-personal level, it feels like exiting the game right in time or at least creating an exit plan. Nomading is allowing me to stop drinking the Kool-aid of the city-work-grind, of constantly feeling as if I need to run after something. It's creating a gap within the cycle of overwork-overspend-overconsume-repeat. It is allowing me to loosen a bit the tendency to compare myself to others and how they are doing, highlighting what truly matters and what is truly beautiful to me.

Or at least what is true at this moment.

Yet, for most It's quite a big leap to decide to go on a digital nomading adventure, so I suggest the following thought frame to engaging with it:

An experiment, rather than a lifestyle - I find the label Digital Nomad quite obnoxious. A bit like calling yourself a vegan; it's current, and looks good on menus of hip cafes, but requires substantial energy and maintenance, not allowing you to meet reality where it is (and yourself in it). And so with me and nomading, we're at an early stage of dating, of figuring out what this means, what it could look like, and what would work. It creates more space for me to see these times as experiments, with the attempt to gain as much information as possible, to make hypotheses, test them, get wrong, and learn. Asking a good question, rather than making concrete statements, gives us breathing room for what actually wants to emerge. We might find that what works for us is still eating a vegan diet, but with the occasional amazing dairy dessert. Or full-on omnivore, please.

Would love to hear what this brings up for you, what are some of your insights, thoughts and what resonated for you.