There is a growing trend towards becoming a digital nomad, with lots of content about it online – go where you are treated best. I want to argue for why you shouldn’t be a digital nomad. What I’ve learnt.
I’m here in UK in beautiful envrionment. My story is I lived for 12 years in China, and spent 2 years in Dubai. I learnt Chinese, and I’ve moved to Dubai.
I’m going to share what i think my thoughts and what I think is best
– I had a lot more opportunities in China because I could speak Chinese.
– Why did I choose to move? Because I wanted to have a family and be closer to family. I didn’t see that happening in China and wanted to explore the world more.
– Commit to a place.
– Surface level people came for 2 years, and I think it’s a waste, to get to know it.
What is a digital nomad
– a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choosing (rather than a fixed business location).
It’s good for an exploratory phase but it’s not a way of life – it’s better to see it as part of a way to a settled phase.
Problems:
– Go where you are treated best – what it means in reality, at the slightest policy, move from Malaysia, to East Europe, etc.,
Otherwise a drifter. The devil –
“I can best define the word ‘drift’ by saying that people who think for themselves never drift, while those who do little or no thinking for themselves are drifters. A drifter is one who permits himself to be influenced and controlled by circumstances outside of his own mind. A drifter is one who accepts whatever life throws in his way without making a protest or putting up a fight. He doesn’t know what he wants from life and spends all of his time getting just that.”
“Drifting, without aim or purpose, is the first cause of failure. Without a plan for life, concentrated effort, and persistent activity, you will have no means of controlling your own destiny.”
– Only going surface level on each place – being a drifter Vs going deep on one place and learning the language – makes you more valuable
– Roots are cut every time you move. You only have a surface level. It’s like having lots of first dates instead of settling. It’s better to focus on one and settle and you will have more advantages – learn the language and culture – going to get a much
Family:
– It’s hard to have a family – it’s possible, but I don’t think it’s optimum for development. Continuity is great for relationships in my life, to grow and develop, keep cutting has disadvantages.
Advantages of settling
– You can optimise your life and environment, set up your office, gym, people, save time.
Grow the most
Go where you are going to grow the most – might be a different lense that’s a better way to look at it, you might not be treated well, you might be more competitive. Don’t wish for an easy life, wish for the strength to overcome challenges.
Things don’t get easier, you become better.
– There’s a reason – settled civilisation Vs nomads – why settled civilisation has advantages. You become a nomad without development.
Opportunities:
– The problems are an advantage – There is a lot of negative about everywhere, but people seem to think the same of the west. But this is the strength, and it would make the west much better, if instead of leaving, we made it better. The advantage of democracies and the place you are from is that you can make it better. Keep moving is not an answer, instead make it better.
One of the big things I’ve realised is that it’s not the place, but the mindset that makes it so. Of people moving to China – one person who has successful biz, one w
– Communities are evolving – from local to commmunity. Which is an advantage, which means that anywhere is good. What kind of community do you want? You can create it.
– Vision of the future, and it comes, and keep reminding.
– My realisation is that the optimum place to live is in the countryside, 10-15 minutes from a 100k-200k town, and 40-60 minutes to a world city. Here are some of those: – mix of larger real estate, and life of country & city.
– St Albans
– Fontainebleau
– Baden
– Two phases – exploratory, and settled.
– What are your thoughts.
