What happened

In 2015, I spent eight months at a job that didn’t provide an opportunity for growth. I had some fun times with my friends where I was, but they were spread out between long periods of monotony. I started saving money all I could to find another job. Toward the end of my time there, I decided to become a digital nomad.
I spend the next four months in Thailand. The first two months I spend on a game app I wasn’t passionate about, the next month I spent learning about other options, and the last month I spent building this blog and another project that I hope to use to improve websites.

What worked

Built a business on paper
Researched what it would take to become a digital nomad, then committed and executed well
Started developing good productivity habits including journaling, exercising, and meditating
Learned a significant amount about what remote career opportunities are available
Spent time reading and learning about many different subjects
Networked and explored the area well initially
May have found a mentor

What didn’t

Developed poor sleeping habits
Spent a significant amount of time on a project that I was not passionate about
Failed to launch multiple different products due to a perfectionist attitude
Stopped networking and exploring later in the year

Highs

Visiting the Twin Cities
Traveling to the islands
Loi Krathong – Lantern festival in Chiang Mai
Fun Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations
Driving a motorbike
Many live music events, movies, concerts, games, and general nights out with friends

Lows

Monotonous day to day at last job
Failing on my personal goal to make income online by the end of the year
Food poisoning

Lessons learned

Don’t settle in or get comfortable – getting comfortable is enjoying the familiar. Exploring, meeting new people, and trying new things produced my most memorable experiences of the year.

Relax – Don’t get in a guilt and stress cycle. When your brain is over-worked it misses the creative solutions. Give yourself a chance to rest and you’ll be more productive.

Habits – Build some good ones. They’ll make or break you long term.

I ended up finding a common thread to many of the lessons of this year, so I put them all together in my article, Lessons Learned: The Real Problems with Working for Yourself.