🏝 My 4-week-long workation (experiment) ended last week — time to reflect. Here is what I learned:
I started into the #workation as an experiment. I always wanted to be able to do such a thing as work from wherever I wanted to work because all I need is my laptop and good WiFi.
But until a few months ago, I never really dared to dream about this becoming a reality.
Especially because I never looked at this topic as a one-time opportunity. In my mind, this was always more of a general #lifestyle shift.
So when I decided at the beginning of the year to do this, the emotional stakes were high:
For this to possibly become part of my lifestyle, it needed to work out. On the other hand, I just became my own boss a couple of months ago, and I am amidst a very work-intensive phase.
➡️ So my most significant #learning from this workation is.. 🥁
That I can do it and that I did it! I can be at a beautiful place like Madeira, a Portuguese island with 20-25 degrees, lots of sunshine, and the ocean within 5-minute walking distance - and still not only not neglect but prioritize the "work" in WORKation.
➡️Learning 2:
Even more than that: I thrived. I worked even a bit more than I'd probably have at home, putting a lot of extra hours into work for my own business on top of my work for my clients. And I was able to do it with a smile.
Because after two Corona years in my #homeoffice, the new environment inspired me. It affected me like a catalyst, inducing extra energy and #inspiration instead of taking away #motivation because I'd rather do something else here.
➡️Learning 3:
When we talk about new work, things like flexible working hours are more and more accepted and something to strive for. But aspects like a workation sometimes still get painted as something fancy, a bit over the top, even by #newwork advocates. "Of course, it is nice to work on the beach...".
Yes, some people might use the word workation while emphasizing the vacation side of things. But some might not.
This undertone in our conversations about workations or #digitalnomad lifestyles doesn't do it justice.
For me, a workation is not about working at the beach.
(In fact, who (besides influencers for a social media video) takes their most important working tool to the water - and exposes it not only to tons of sand but the burning sun so that the hardware may get fried? 🤯)
❌ To wrap it up:
I have learned a lot about myself and how I work (pun intended) best in regards to working. I want this to become part of my lifestyle, and my work didn't suffer from it. If anything, it benefited from it.
Also, I am pretty sure that I'll continue to profit from this #experience & #adventure over the next couple of weeks.
So maybe things like a workation with its refreshing and inspiring power should lose a bit of its social stigma and be taken more seriously in discussions about new work. It's not just a fancy term or a cheap excuse for working less in the sun.
I started into the #workation as an experiment. I always wanted to be able to do such a thing as work from wherever I wanted to work because all I need is my laptop and good WiFi.
But until a few months ago, I never really dared to dream about this becoming a reality.
Especially because I never looked at this topic as a one-time opportunity. In my mind, this was always more of a general #lifestyle shift.
So when I decided at the beginning of the year to do this, the emotional stakes were high:
For this to possibly become part of my lifestyle, it needed to work out. On the other hand, I just became my own boss a couple of months ago, and I am amidst a very work-intensive phase.
➡️ So my most significant #learning from this workation is.. 🥁
That I can do it and that I did it! I can be at a beautiful place like Madeira, a Portuguese island with 20-25 degrees, lots of sunshine, and the ocean within 5-minute walking distance - and still not only not neglect but prioritize the "work" in WORKation.
➡️Learning 2:
Even more than that: I thrived. I worked even a bit more than I'd probably have at home, putting a lot of extra hours into work for my own business on top of my work for my clients. And I was able to do it with a smile.
Because after two Corona years in my #homeoffice, the new environment inspired me. It affected me like a catalyst, inducing extra energy and #inspiration instead of taking away #motivation because I'd rather do something else here.
➡️Learning 3:
When we talk about new work, things like flexible working hours are more and more accepted and something to strive for. But aspects like a workation sometimes still get painted as something fancy, a bit over the top, even by #newwork advocates. "Of course, it is nice to work on the beach...".
Yes, some people might use the word workation while emphasizing the vacation side of things. But some might not.
This undertone in our conversations about workations or #digitalnomad lifestyles doesn't do it justice.
For me, a workation is not about working at the beach.
(In fact, who (besides influencers for a social media video) takes their most important working tool to the water - and exposes it not only to tons of sand but the burning sun so that the hardware may get fried? 🤯)
❌ To wrap it up:
I have learned a lot about myself and how I work (pun intended) best in regards to working. I want this to become part of my lifestyle, and my work didn't suffer from it. If anything, it benefited from it.
Also, I am pretty sure that I'll continue to profit from this #experience & #adventure over the next couple of weeks.
So maybe things like a workation with its refreshing and inspiring power should lose a bit of its social stigma and be taken more seriously in discussions about new work. It's not just a fancy term or a cheap excuse for working less in the sun.
