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Happy Wednesday! 👋

I recently got back from a working holiday in Phuket and now I'm settling back into "normal life" here in Chiang Mai (whatever normal means lol).

Phuket was great - beautiful beaches, great food, and a nice change of pace from my usual routine.

But if I’m being honest, I'm glad to be back at my condo in Chiang Mai with my regular routines and pleasantly predictable surroundings.

Which brings me to something I've been thinking about a lot lately...

Here's the thing about being a digital nomad that nobody really talks about:

The freedom to go anywhere can become a distraction from building anything meaningful.

I've been doing some deep research on ADHD lately (mostly because I suspect I have it lol), and one pattern keeps showing up:

The constant pursuit of novelty kills long-term progress.

It feels productive.

It feels like you're making progress.

Even if you don’t have ADHD, this constant pursuit of novelty is often just sophisticated procrastination.

I realized this during my Phuket trip.

I was there for 5 days, and while it was fun, my actual work output dropped significantly (despite my every intention to be a true “working holiday").

I’m not saying Phuket is necessarily a bad place to work. But because my brain was in a new environment, it was in exploration mode instead of deep work mode.

(Even if you're not currently a "digital nomad," this applies to constantly switching up your routines, workspace, or daily habits. Consistency matters more than you think!)

Here's what I'm learning about the methodical approach:

The nomads who actually build sustainable businesses and careers aren't the ones hopping countries every few weeks.

They're the ones who pick a base, stay there long enough to build real routines, and use travel as an intentional break rather than a constant state.

Staying in Chiang Mai for extended periods has done more for my productivity, my income, and honestly my mental health than all the "exploring" I did in my first year of nomading.

This doesn't mean never travel. It means being intentional about when you move and why (because your brain needs consistency to do great work).

The irony of location independence is that too much location change actually limits what you can build.

So yeah, I'm back in Chiang Mai.

Back to my regular cafes, my own condo, my regular routines. And my work is better for it.

Maybe “boring” is underrated.

These are the tools I personally use to live and work remotely (I get a small commission if you sign up, but I only recommend stuff I actually use):

​💳 Wise​- International banking without the ridiculous fees your regular bank charges for overseas transactions.

​🛡️SafetyWing​- Travel insurance that covers nomads (most regular insurance doesn’t).

📶Nomad eSIM​ (use code JOSH47AR to get $5 off) - Instant internet in any country without hunting for SIM cards or paying roaming fees.

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