Real-life story by Norbert Bezzina: We only have one life to live and must make the most of it!

Please meet my friend Norbert ?? He was my candidate in the first place, but over time we became good friends even though we have not had a chance to meet each other face-to-face. He is an adventurer from Malta, a storyteller and a Writer who had been in the real estate industry as the CEO of the company for over a decade when he decided to change his life (and career path) and to become a Digital Nomad. Since then, he visited over 30 countries, working remotely from beautiful places across the globe. Not to mention that he was a model, participating in Mister Universe 2011 alongside contestants from over 50 nations! :) Norbert is a brilliant, inspiring and soulful person who followed his heart to the unknown, facing all the tough decisions he had to make while reaching for happiness.

I am happy to have an opportunity to share his story with you:

What made you decide to switch your career from real estate entrepreneur to becoming a digital nomad?

The decision to switch from a real estate entrepreneur to a digital nomad was a travel career break and a one-way ticket back in 2021 that changed my life. I decided to quit the real estate business and focus more on travel and happiness.

The 9 to 5pm would fit poorly with this new lifestyle. Since I was young, I have always had a motto. We only have one life to live and must make the most of it. Then, Covid hit, and it was the exact moment that made the entire world realize it was time to get up and get going. Life is short.

Quitting a real estate company that was doing super well to start a new life is quite risky and challenging. Still, if you don't give it a shot, you will never get a yes, no, or any result. The decision was simple: I worked hard for long hours daily, avoided extra needs, and saved money to prepare for that day to step out of my comfort zone.?

Was there a time in your career when you were unsatisfied or felt (realized) that you did not belong to that place or team? What did you do?

In life, we all go through phases, and there was a time when I wasn't feeling satisfied, and, to put it in a better picture, I wasn't being appreciated.

Having to handle situations like these, sometimes you have to put your mental health first before everything; even if I earned hundreds weekly or thousands monthly, I would quit or try my utmost to find another job.

However, I always stood up for what I believed was right and was ready to be criticized when I was wrong. No one is perfect, and everyone is excellent in their own way.

How significant is the connection between job satisfaction and career development?

You can't have excellent career development without being satisfied with your job. I've had a few jobs where I earned double or triple the minimum wage, which was excellent sometimes, but what did I make from that? Nothing because I was there for the money. The job might not satisfy me, so there was no room for career development.?

How did you recognize that writing spark inside your heart and decide to follow it?

I've been passionate about writing and expressing myself since I was young. As a natural-born storyteller, I've always believed that everyone has a story to write or to be told.

Traveling the globe, one country at a time has sparked the writing within my heart, as it automatically turns you into a storyteller. My goal is to write about my experiences in every country I visit, inspiring and helping others to chase their dreams through my writing.

Writing isn't just a passion; it's also a great path for learning and development. I can write about different subjects through clients' writings, which allows me to learn.

My journey as a content writer began when a kind stranger believed in me and allowed me to show my writing skills. That moment marked the beginning of my career as a digital nomad, where I can follow my dreams while traveling the world and sharing my stories with others.

Here is a fun fact about me that might help those who don't believe in themselves or think it's too late to start: I used to hate writing and get in trouble for avoiding reading in school. A decade or two later, I am here trying to document every little thing that comes to mind and reading every inspiring story.

The significance is to have a job you love, where you see yourself reaching new heights while enjoying what you're doing. It's better to earn less and be happy than to earn more and be unhappy. When I gained more, my mental health and mindset were halfway down the drain.?

Can you discuss a challenge you encountered while working remotely as a digital nomad and how you overcame it?

The biggest challenge I encountered was taking the first step into switching to work remotely from being into a stable job. Being in the business for the past 14 years made the step less confusing and easier.

Every step we take in life comes with pros and cons. It doesn't matter the situation. You win one thing and lose another, and you love one thing and hate another; however, knowing this is what I wanted.?

The biggest challenge is the time zones while traveling. The way to address these issues is to plan ahead. Sometimes, I have jobs to work in the evenings or the mornings, while you have to have an actual plan for when to work and when to travel and explore.?

Some jobs will have deadlines to finish, so to overcome them, you must take care of your clients rather than secure many clients and lose track. Otherwise, you might struggle to finish and lose everything.?

How do you stay motivated and productive while working independently without the structure of a traditional office environment?

Staying motivated plays a crucial role. Many think that you're a full-time traveler and everything is plain sailing. However, it's totally different. We all experience highs and lows; it doesn't matter if you're on the road traveling or back home.?

I don't miss the office environment, and having a different workplace is one of the best things that happened to me in the past three years.

I've worked from hostels, train stations, flights, and rides on buses and trains, and I enjoy every moment. Yes, I get to work in beautiful places like the Azores, the Sahara Desert, or the Mountain Views, but also, working on the floor because there are no chairs and tables has become quite normal and fun.

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Success is just a word, but it has different meanings for people. How would you describe success, and what does it mean to you?

I would describe success as an achievement. Success can come from victories and defeats. You might ask how you can succeed in losses. The biggest success is learning from defeats and making another success out of it.

Success means a lot to me, and there is a reason. In life, I have been put down quite a few times by people who didn't believe in my capabilities; the biggest success wasn't just answering those people but proving to myself that I could do it, work harder, and reach my goals no matter if it's in one day, one month or one year.

Success also doesn't have to be all over the world, including the media, so I'm sure you all have succeeded in many ways without telling people what your success was. I used to enjoy telling people about my success; however, over time, I learned to live day by day and no need to say every detail of your success to praise you for a well done or the other way round, such as "you had someone pushing you forward."

If you could send some important message to all human beings, what would it be?

Life is full of ups and downs, and we all go through good and bad phases. To all people out there, you might be alone when you reach the top, but remember that you're not alone when life treats you a bit with lows.?

Always listen to your gut and work hard to achieve the goals you have dreamed of. My biggest advice from experience would be to work or plan in silence, not to give ideas but to take only opinions. What's good for you might be the opposite for others.

Never say it's too late to start working towards a dream. Age is just a number; it is there to remind you how long you have been living this beautiful life on this planet.

My last message to anyone will always be: Remember where you started, and never forget those who were there at your lows and highs. When you fail, like the many times I did, the most important is to rise up again. Just enjoy the journey.

You can connect with Norbert via:

Linkedin - https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/norbertbezzina/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/norbertbezzina/?next=%2Fcareer__mindset%2F

Website - https://www.crafting-content.com/

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