5 Takeaways Since My Digital Nomad Experiment
It’s been 6 weeks since my 30 day digital nomading experiment in Coronado, Panama.
It was an amazing experience that opened me up to many new ideas and possibilities. Here are 5 of my Takeaways since my return:
TAKEAWAY 1 - You can literally work almost anywhere
In the 6 weeks since I returned from Panama, I have done my work from over 20 distinct locations, more than a dozen of them outdoors (including zoom meetings).
TAKEAWAY 2 - Start each day by grounding
While I was in Panama, I started most days by watching the sunrise, meditating, journaling, and walking along the beach. I found myself to be happy, relaxed, enthusiastic, and calm almost all of the time while I was there. I was also more effective and creative than usual.
After a couple weeks back, some days my energy dropped to my pre-Panama level. I’ve noticed that when I take the time to start my day with grounding activities, I am once again able to tap into calming and creative energy like I experienced in Panama.
TAKEAWAY 3 - Have alternate technology options
Recently, I spent 10 days in Florida working remotely while visiting my mother. I had a spare laptop with me.
One day, when I was working outside in the park, this laptop died for no apparent reason. It just stopped working, right before I had a zoom call. Fortunately, I was able to take the zoom call on my cell phone.
Luckily I had 2 laptops with me in Florida. In Panama I only had one. I don’t know what I would have done if it had died while I was out of the country. It's always a good idea to have a strategy for unexpected technology problems.
TAKEAWAY 4 - Creativity Requires Space
While in Panama I felt like I had a lot of space. I had a lot to get done, yet it never felt constantly busy, as I often feel back home. From this place of spaciousness, my creativity really flowed. I was able to accomplish a lot very quickly.
Since returning, I’ve wanted to recreate the flow and ease of creativity that I experienced. Yet, I’ve frequently been running on all cylinders and my creativity has often felt elusive. Recently, when I made a point of freeing up space in my life and in my schedule, my creativity began to flow again.
TAKEAWAY 5 - Trust your intuition
My decision to go to Panama wasn’t logical. When the opportunity came up, there were a lot of reasons not to go, including that it was not very fiscally responsible. Yet, I had a very strong gut feeling that I should go anyway. I chose to follow my intuition.
If instead I had followed logical reasoning and “being responsible,” I would have missed out on one of the best experiences of my life. In Panama, I was also more motivated, more effective, and got more done than I would have if I had stayed home.