Unravel the paradox of freedom and discipline as a digital nomad. Explore the challenges and rewards of this lifestyle, and discover how to strike a balance between the allure of boundless freedom and the necessity of self-imposed discipline.
Freedom
The digital nomad lifestyle is often characterized by freedom.
- There is no need to commute in to work to arrive at a certain hour and stay until the clock runs down even if there is nothing to do
- No need to struggle to find descent and affordable housing within reasonable commuter distance of where you want to work or be subject to the high cost of living
Time-Zone Rhythms
When your work schedule is your own, choosing the best working hours in terms of productivity can be challenging
Time-Management & Process Strategies
Digital nomads are likely to be interested in applications and tools that help them better maintain their schedules and processes
- Almost all digital nomads interviewed were significant users of applications for time management and task tracking within their work, but also for things such as monitoring habits
The Verdict
Traditional jobs often provide the structure necessary both to promote productivity and to clearly delineate between time spent working and leisure
- When we remove ourselves from this structure, we must rely on our own self-discipline
- Dave Cook has recently conducted an ethnographic study looking exactly at the disciplines that digital nomads need in order to make a success of the digital nomad lifestyle without burning out
Co-Working
A space that is set up for work, with ergonomic chairs and power sockets in the right place, plus being surrounded by others who at least appear to be working can be essential for getting into the working headspace.
- Being able to draw a line under work and walk away also helps digital nomads avoid letting work eat up too much of their leisure time.
What Is a Digital Nomad?
Digital nomads are people who attempt to gain freedom by traveling while working, clearly distinguishing between them from business travelers who travel for work and tourists
- They are more likely to have an entrepreneurial attitude and work hard, earn more, and have a tendency to prioritize work over leisure
- This combination can lead to burnout
- To make a success of a digital nomad lifestyle, and not fall into this trap, digital nomads have to develop a variety of disciplines
Self-Imposed Deadlines
In the absence of line management accountability in traditional workplaces, many digital nomads become interested in self-imposed deadlines and performance tracking
- Digital nomads tend to do better when they choose to impose their own, self-defined deadlines
- When these don’t make sense, they can often be replaced with performance tracking approaches
Social Commitment
Digital nomads tend to have an easier time maintaining the lines between work and leisure than singles.
- The most successful digital nomads will often create social commitments, whether they be calls with loved ones, catching up on Netflix, or taking themselves out to explore the local area, to try and bring that rhythm and accountability to their life from day-one of arriving in a new place.
Mobile Adaptability
It takes a minimum of three days to find healthy routines again when relocating to a new place.
- The most successful digital nomads have practices in place that help them to kickstart their preferred routine when they arrive at a new location, and rituals to help them delineate their new space and time.
Device Choice
The vast majority of digital nomads rely on two devices: a laptop and a smartphone
- Many choose to differentiate between these devices, using their laptop for work and their smartphone for leisure.
- Their different defined uses leave you feeling differently when you use them.
