Does being a digital nomad ruin your productivity?

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In November 2024, I set off on my first digital nomad trip.

I visited Kenya, the UAE, Thailand, and South Africa.

Over the next 3 emails, I’m going to share 3 lessons from the experience.

Let’s do the first—on freedom.

There are different types of freedom

Being a nomad sunk in when I landed in Bangkok.

I was alone in a foreign country. I sat at a bar on a busy street, cracked open a Chang, and smiled:

You’ve made it. This is what freedom feels like.

When I was a dentist, I always dreamed of writing and travelling the world. But when I started my business, I was having so much fun I never wanted to leave my flat. After three years, I was concerned life was flying by in a blur of tweets and emails.

Nomading was my attempt to ‘have my cake and eat it too’.

And eat I did.

The opportunity cost of fun

I had a great time in Thailand.

I took my foot off the gas, wrote less, and let the business run on systems. I said yes to life—getting into some fun and sticky situations (none of which I shall mention since my mother reads these emails).

Day-to-day my joy levels were high.

But over time, a niggling discontent gnawed on the back of my mind:

I wasn’t giving my purpose my all.

The ‘problem’ is that abroad, there is much more life to experience.

Why on earth would I engage on LinkedIn when I could engage with Ladyboys?

Oops, I mean explore the sights. The realisation hit me when I saw an email from a fellow writing friend. He explained that you can’t build your business and travel the world too. Not if you want to do it well.

After my first two months trying, I sadly agreed.

I was scootering around a tropical island, and my office was literally on the beach. It was cool, but nothing like hustling in the UK.

Sure beats the view back home though

I began missing the comfort of the grind. I feared falling behind.

But it was a false belief.

The importance of boundaries

It was nice to slow down for a time, but it only magnified the truth:

The most important thing in my life is writing. I want to master the craft, not be ‘OK’ at it. I want to make a real impact, not sell a few products.

I realised that freedom is not a lack of commitments. It’s fully committing to something you love.

So when I arrived in South Africa in December, I set stronger boundaries. I kept reminding myself: You’re not on holiday. You’re working somewhere nice.

The result?

Fantastic.

Jan-March 2025 was the most productive and creative I’d ever been.

I wrote a ridiculous amount, started a book, and launched several cool offers. And still enjoyed the amazing weather, food, and hiking that Cape Town has to offer. My mental health was 100x better than a gloomy UK winter.

Which made me a much better entrepreneur and writer.

So, here’s the first lesson:

Many people nomad to ‘coast’ with their business. They’re less interested in building something big. But you can do both. It just requires a clear reason to say no.

Because anyone can work hard when there’s nothing exciting going on.

It’s how you respond to distractions that will set you apart.

What helped me was a daily reminder of what I was trying to achieve—the long-term vision.

Have you set one?

Catch you for the next email on nomading in a few days.

Kieran

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