How to Keep Going When You've Hit a Roadblock in Going Remote
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The journey to land remote work can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, whether you’re pursuing landing a remote job, freelancing or entrepreneurship. Many people who pursue the digital nomad lifestyle give up all too soon, feeling defeated in the process. But the ones who push through are the ones that make it. Here’s how to keep going when you’ve hit a roadblock in going remote.
Detach your Self Worth From the Outcome
So often we will attach our self worth to the outcomes we get, or rather don’t get. However, there are so many other variables that play a role in the outcomes we get in life that it wouldn’t be fair to tie it all back to our self-worth.
For example, as an entrepreneur or freelancer, there could be a million reasons why someone doesn’t buy from you. It could be that your messaging was off, the timing wasn’t right for this potential client to buy, you were presenting your offer to the wrong audience, or you’ve been too broad and not niche enough with your offering.
Or if you’re applying to remote jobs it could be that you’re not presenting your value in a clear, concise and impactful way on your resume. Or it could be that your resume is too broad, highlighting all of your skills, instead of tailoring it to the specific job you’re applying to.
Remember, the journey to going remote is a learning process. It’s about finding the formula that sticks. Think of how many attempts it took Thomas A. Edison to finally create the lightbulb. He says, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” He didn’t try to invent the lightbulb just once then determine he sucked and that he’s not worthy to be an inventor. And the same goes for landing a remote job, freelancers, and entrepreneurs.
It’s not about you or your self-value, rather it’s about figuring out all the other variables that could be causing certain outcomes until you find the formula that sticks. To figure out the formula that works for you, you’ll constantly have to:
Learn. Ask yourself, “What did I learn from this situation?”
Revise. Ask yourself, “What can I improve or do differently next time to increase my chances of success?”
Implement. Take action and implement what you learned.
Repeat. Keep repeating this process, learning along the way.
The world of being a digital nomad and working online is a whole new industry and space and it’s ok to fumble a few times and learn as you go. It doesn’t mean you suck. If anything it means you have the courage, resilience, grit, and tenacity to overcome whatever is thrown your way. And at least you’re trying. There are plenty of people that didn’t even give themselves a chance to try.
The most liberating thing you can do is detach self-worth from outcomes. Keep reminding yourself that your outcomes fo not determine your self-worth, and approach your journey like a scientist in a lab.
Know The Difference Between Lessons Vs Failure
If you keep repeating the same mistakes, and not learning anything from them, then yes you have a failure. However, failure is only a failure if you don’t learn the lesson at hand. So when you hit a roadblock in landing a remote job, freelancing or entrepreneurship, ask yourself:
“What lesson can I learn from this?” or
“What can I do differently next time to try and improve my outcome?”
Remind yourself, “As long as I’m learning I’m growing”. And that’s OK. Again, there are plenty of people out there not even trying. You’ll never find someone out there that has something nasty to say about your progress that has been through or is going through the same journey as you. It’s usually the people that have given up on their dreams that have the most to say about yours. Shake it off and keep learning and growing. Again, through these lessons, you’ll eventually find the formula that sticks.
Patience is key for this part.
Reflect on How Far You’ve Already Come
We’re always chasing, “what’s next”, or comparing our progress to others that we sometimes forget just how far we’ve come. Take a few minutes and list out on a piece of paper just how far you have come. Write out your accomplishments, lessons you’ve learned along the way, and shifts and progress you’ve had in mindset.
There’s no doubt you’ll feel a little more at ease at reminding yourself just how far you’ve already come.
Again, be patient with yourself. It’s a journey after all.
So whether you’re pursuing landing a remote job, becoming a freelancer or are an aspiring entrepreneur when roadblocks present themselves remind yourself to keep going. The key difference between those successfully working remotely and those who are still stuck in the 9 to 5 grind is that those working remotely didn’t give up at the first roadblock, or even second or third. So keep going. It’s just a matter of time until everything works.
Connect with a Community of Like-Minded People
The journey to going remote doesn’t have to be lonely. Get support from other people who are also on the same journey. People who you can lean on and cheer you on as you go. This is a great way to stay accountable, bounce ideas, or to get support with different challenges you may face along the way. Sometimes connecting with like-minded people and knowing you’re not alone is enough.
If you want to connect with a community of like-minded people who are passionate about driving their business, remote career, and lifestyle forward then check out our Tribe community.
