Flexibility is chosen as the word of the year by the board of directors of No Direction Home
The choice was based on a dialogue with a reader of this newsletter
Flexibility. According to the board of directors of No Direction Home, which consists of myself, that is this newsletter's word of the year.
This choice came after meeting, by chance, a newsletter reader at a festival this past weekend. Jéssica Xavier is a fellow trainee from Estadão, back in 2014. She was the first person outside my circle of friends to give me feedback on the newsletter early in the year.
"So, are you going to become a nomad someday?" I asked.
"No, no, it's not for me. I like having my things, my own space. But I really identify with your content because I seek more flexibility in life."
Digital nomadism is indeed something radical. For five months, I have already shared a series of challenges I've experienced (and I still have many others on my list to write about).
My experience has been positive, I would do it all over again, and I still want to spend more time on the road. But even the most well-known Brazilian nomad, Matheus de Souza, recently announced that his nomadic days are behind him after six years. He was tired, among other things, of constantly moving around, packing and unpacking, planning the following months, buying tickets, and continuously adapting to a new routine.
I don't know how long I will be a nomad. I know that when I decided to leave my home, contract job, and relationship, I was seeking more flexibility in life. I found it, and I want to help you, readers, find yours.
I look out the window of the building I'm currently living in São Paulo, and it gives me chills.
Honking horns, constant traffic, ambulances stuck. Many people wouldn't need to be there. They are there because companies decided to leave flexibility behind.
Not every profession has the luxury of being remote. Not everyone thrives working from home or a cafe. But why can't we be more flexible for those professions where it is possible and for those who adapt?
This talk of decreased productivity is bullshit. Countless companies are operating 100% remotely and excelling in their fields. It's the talk of workaholics like Elon Musk, who work 20 hours a day and want their employees to work 20 hours a day to become richer and richer.
Based on all this reflection, I have just changed the description of this newsletter.
No Direction Home is a newsletter that advocates for flexibility in our lives. I am a digital nomad who works remotely and lives from Airbnb to Airbnb. Through personal narratives, I reflect on how we can live with more quality.
We may be going through a time when remote job opportunities are decreasing, fake hybrid job postings, etc. But if the best professionals refuse to fill those positions (and this happens all the time in the technology field), companies will realize they're shooting themselves in the foot in the medium to long term.
That's it. Fight for your flexibility. Small victories, like one more day of work from home, being able to work from home on a rainy day, or during a public transportation strike, should be celebrated.
Did you know you can interact by replying directly to this email? I'm a fan of feedback (whether critical or positive). You can reply in your inbox if you don't want to comment on the post. Do as Jéssica did and help me improve this newsletter and spread the flexibility worldwide.