Fake work is sabotaging our nomad life

Hey Freaking Nomads,

This week, I’ve been rethinking how I work—really rethinking what it means to be productive on the road.

I recently picked up Fake Work: Why People Are Working Harder than Ever but Accomplishing Less, and How to Fix the Problem by Brent D. Peterson and Gaylan W. Nielson.

The book exposes how so much of our daily grind is filled with "busywork" that appears productive but rarely moves the needle. It challenges us to shift our focus from mere busyness to what truly drives progress—what the authors call "real work."

As digital nomads, our lives are filled with hustle and the constant juggle of multiple projects. But here’s some tough questions:

Is all this hustle truly taking us where we want to go? And, are we really achieving what’s important, or are we just busy?

The book made me take a hard look at my own routines and challenge whether all this activity is really moving me forward.

What I’ve learned from this concept of "fake work" is that we need to be intentional about our time. Here's how to approach it:

• Focus on What Matters – Regularly evaluate your daily tasks. Ask yourself: does this activity move me closer to my long-term nomad goals? Prioritize work that directly fuels your passion projects or sustains your lifestyle. For this, I use Notion to document all my goals and projects and Todoist for all my daily/weekly tasks, so I always know which actions are truly valuable to me.
• Eliminate the Noise – Identify and cut out busywork. Skip those endless email threads, avoid meetings with unclear outcomes, and automate repetitive tasks whenever possible. Guard your time like it’s your most precious resource.
  For automation, for instance, I often rely on Make.com and the usual LLMs like Perplexity for research, Claude for coding and ChatGPT for pretty much anything else. And if you’re a developer, you can even build custom tools with Next.js and third-party APIs to streamline your workflow.
• Run a Time Audit – Take some time every day to track how you’re really spending your time. This honest look can reveal the activities that are just keeping you busy rather than productive. Once you know, adjust your schedule to focus on deep work that truly counts. To do this, I recommend RescueTime which is a fantastic software for gaining insights into where your time is going, and help you make more informed decisions about your day.
• Carve Out Deep Work Time – Block out those uninterrupted periods for focused work. These sessions are where meaningful progress happens and creative ideas flourish. I often use a simple Pomodoro timer like this one to help me stay off my phone and dive deep into tasks that really matter.

The insights from Fake Work have been a wake-up call, pushing me to re-evaluate my routines and invest my energy where it truly counts.

I hope these tips and tools will help you cut through the clutter and reclaim your time for what really matters.

Thanks for reading—and hope you will have a productive week!

Irene xx

🗞️ What's new in the nomad world

• Bermuda is closing its nomad door. Remote workers might soon have to find a new Caribbean base, as Bermuda shuts down its digital nomad visa program. This means that if you've been eyeing Bermuda for its turquoise waters and laid-back lifestyle, you may need to adjust your plans and look elsewhere for long-term remote work opportunities.

Bermuda shuts down its digital nomad visa

Bermuda ends its digital nomad visa in 2025, shifting focus to long-term residency options to support housing and economic priorities.

Freaking NomadsIrene Wang

• Thailand is tightening its borders. The Land of Smiles plans to cut its visa-free stay to just 30 days, challenging nomads who love longer adventures. This policy shift could mean more frequent visa runs or switching to different visa options, forcing some to rethink how to structure their stays in Thailand.

Thailand plans to cut visa-free stay to 30 days

Thailand is set to cut visa-free stays from 60 to 30 days to curb illegal business activity. Change affects 93 countries, date still pending.

Freaking NomadsIrene Wang

• Cyprus is instead rolling out the welcome mat for digital nomads. This Mediterranean gem just launched its own digital nomad visa, opening up fresh opportunities for remote work in the sun. With its rich culture and stunning coastlines, Cyprus is positioning itself as an attractive hub for nomads looking to blend work with leisure in a relaxed setting.

Cyprus finally launches digital nomad visa—Here’s how to apply

Cyprus launches its Digital Nomad Visa for non-EU nationals, offering remote workers a chance to live and work from the island.

Freaking NomadsIrene Wang

✨ Our favorite nomad quote for this week

“May all your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” — Edward Abbey

💼 100% remote jobs handpicked for you

Who is hiring this week? Here are some top roles to check out:

• Digital Marketing Specialist at Velaio
• HR Business Partner at Sumsub
• Senior Product Manager at Tubby
• Software Engineer - Infrastructure Team at Discourse
• WordPress Support Specialist at WPMU DEV

💡This week's resource (to make your life easier)

If you’re like me and need a reliable way to stay connected while on the move, the Netgear Nighthawk M6 could be an interesting piece of gear to add to your travel gear. We've been using it during our recent travels, and we must say it was a nice surprise how useful this thing is.

I know it's not always about flashy specs, but here are a few benefits of this device:

📶 Unlocked and SIM-ready – It supports SIM cards and it's designed to work with multiple carriers. It has a slot for a nano SIM card located in the battery compartment. You can use either a data-only SIM card or a cell phone SIM card.

🌐 Seamless multi-device support – Connect all your devices at once, from your laptop to your phone (up to 32 devices!), without compromising speed or stability.

🔋 Long-Lasting Battery – It has a built-in battery that lasts for up to 13 hours, so you won't constantly search for a power outlet. This is a lifesaver for all of us who juggle work and travel, not always with a laptop-friendly workspace.

🔒 Reliable Security – It provides a secure connection, giving you peace of mind when working with sensitive data on the go.

🔌 1 Gig Ethernet port – For those times when you need a stable wired connection, the built-in Ethernet port ensures top-notch speeds (perfect for heavy uploads or streaming).

If staying reliably connected is a priority for your nomad lifestyle, the Netgear Nighthawk M6 might be definitely worth checking out.

That's all for this week.

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We'll see you there, Freaking Nomads!

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