My Thoughts On the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Special thanks for interviewer Emily Walker for inviting me to self-reflect on my digital nomad solopreneur years so far.

What does “remote working” mean to you?

Remote working should keep light and.. remote! Throughout my personal experience, I have often forgotten that huge privilege, and then, I have experienced some tiresome working and living in the same place.

That monotony can be more perceptible than in traditional workplace. As long as we are digital nomads, it is important to take advantage of our freedom and flexibility!

What are the downsides of working remotely?

Let me suppose that I honor my reputation as a nomad freelancer, I won’t be bored, but there are still some risks. Being my own boss means being accountable for my own time planning. It can be tempting to underestimate tasks and deadlines.

Unless I keep an eye on my calendars, plus a realistic day-to-day planning, I can find myself overwhelmed by deadlines I promised myself, unread emails, unfinished courses, energy draining activities I could postpone or limit in time, etc.

Employed people stick to a strict planning set for them. Self-employed people, however, should be their own managers.

Finally, is this really a downside? Maybe compared to traditional jobs, but this should be a great opportunity to develop awareness about our own cognitive biases (estimating deadlines) and our unstable emotions and energy all over the day.

How do you maintain a work/life balance?

I have learnt to say No to working weekends. I make it clear to clients that if they brief me by late Friday, they should not expect my work to be ready next Monday morning.

Working by night has also become a red line, since I need to allocate my evenings to entertaining activities and social life if there is any good plan. This routine keeps me fresh and enthusiastic for the next early morning.

Is there is anything you miss about the traditional workplace?

I may experience some nostalgia towards traditional workplace : First off, that environment is simply dedicated to work, deep work, which enhances concentration and foremost, readiness to work. When I recall my employee’s days, I can feel anew that excitement to find my office and everything related to it, since I “missed” it.

From there, I have learnt to design a strict separation between the space where I work, and areas where I do everything else.

The second aspect I miss is team work, so I don’t hesitate to take my laptop jumping into my client’s workplace whenever this is possible. Moreover, everyone is happy!

How do you stay productive?

This is a day-to-day challenge. Sleeping enough would be my very first rule. Moreover, I usually offer myself a short nap of about 15–20 minutes, long enough to feel refueled.

As for the diet, I prefer to have a rich breakfast rather than a lunch after which I may feel asleep for a while. Quick home workout can be an energizer, too. Last but not least, I believe that it is important to put aside any source of distraction, and simply forget about it as if I was in that traditional workplace again with a boss watching me.

Where is/has been your favorite place in the world to work?

Actually, every city or region has its very own charm and flavor. I would say, any place offering a sparkling entrepreneurial lifestyle : Meetups, competitions, exhibitions, .. nothing better to be challenged in such an open hive!

My luck, I work in a relatively hectic city, Tunis, one of the pioneering startup hubs in Africa. From the other side of the Mediterranean pool, my favorite would be Berlin, an incredibly lively city with a developed multicultural side. Though, I am sure that I will appreciate much more corners around the world once I’ll experience them enough.

Do you travel? If so, do you have a partner / pets / children?

Traveling is breathing! More than a vacation, it does feed curiosity towards what make us different and.. similar, here and there!

Traveling also means challenging myself nonstop, since I often travel alone, so.. being in a new surrounding, I have to manage not to be bored, not to feel alone.. hence, solo traveling constantly takes us a little bit out of our comfort zones.

Originally published at https://www.khalilgdoura.com.