Remote Work: If You Think You’re Bad at Your Job, You Might Just Be in the Wrong One
Ever felt like you’re constantly fighting your own brain at work? Like everyone else seems to have it figured out while you’re struggling with tasks that should be simple? I’ve been there, and here’s what I wish someone had told me sooner: sometimes the problem isn’t you – it’s where you work. And choosing to find remote work and becoming a digital nomad might be the solution.
For years, I thought something was fundamentally wrong with me when I: Couldn’t focus during endless meetings. Procrastinated on reports until the last minute. Felt mentally exhausted by tasks that seemed effortless to my coworkers. Sound familiar?
I kept comparing myself to people on LinkedIn who seemed to be thriving in their corporate jobs. I kept asking myself: “Why can’t I just get it together?” The answer, it turns out, wasn’t about getting it together at all.
The ADHD Brain in a Neurotypical World
After years of struggling, I finally realized that my ADHD brain was trying to function in an environment designed for neurotypical thinking. Long PowerPoints, dense documentation, back-to-back Zoom meetings – none of it matched how I actually process information and solve problems.
Recent research from McKinsey confirms what many of us have experienced firsthand. Neurodivergent employees need different environments and support systems to succeed. The problem isn’t our abilities – it’s that most workplaces aren’t designed with neurodivergent minds in mind.
But here’s the thing: when you feel like you’re constantly swimming upstream at work, it might not be about working harder. It might be about working somewhere that actually fits how your mind works.
When Remote Work from Abroad Changes Everything
The breakthrough came when my goal of moving to Spain on a digital nomad visa forced me to look for remote roles in different fields. Suddenly I wasn’t just trying to fix myself – I was discovering work that actually leveraged how my mind works.
Moving abroad didn’t just change my location; it changed my entire relationship with work. Experiencing career dissatisfaction after years in the wrong environment is not uncommon, and many people find that working abroad as a remote worker or digita; nomad provides the fresh perspective and new opportunities they need.
Remote work from abroad gives you permission to reinvent not just where you work, but how you work. Different countries, different work cultures, different expectations – suddenly you’re not locked into the same patterns that weren’t serving you back home.
The Power of Remote Work and Geographic Career Change
When you work abroad, whether as a digital nomad traveling the globe or settling in one country on a digital nomad visa, you’re not just changing your scenery – you’re changing your entire professional ecosystem. The skills that felt irrelevant in your home country might be exactly what’s needed in your new location.
Perhaps your creative problem-solving approach that seemed “unfocused” in corporate America is exactly what a work-from-anywhere start-up needs. Maybe working as a contractor for a small organization will offer greater flexibility and allow you to work when and where you want. Or even starting your own online business (as I have done) might allow you to express your creativity and give you the rewards-based motivation that working for yourself does.
Sometimes the Solution Is Working Differently
Now I work with professionals who feel the same way – including neurodivergent folks who are exhausted from forcing themselves into the wrong mold. What I’ve learned is that sometimes the solution isn’t working harder. It’s working differently, and often, that means working somewhere different too.
The beautiful thing about remote work when and where you want is that it forces you to question all your assumptions about what work “should” look like. You start to see that the way you’ve been working isn’t the only way – and it might not even be the best way for you.
Your Brain Isn’t Broken – Your Environment Might Be
If you’re reading this and thinking “wow, this sounds exactly like my experience,” you’re not alone. Thousands of professionals are discovering that their struggles at work aren’t personal failings – they’re environmental mismatches.
Maybe you’re neurodivergent and need more flexibility than your current role allows. Perhaps you’re a creative thinker stuck in a rigid corporate structure. Or maybe you just need a change of scenery to rediscover what you’re actually good at.
Finding remote work and going abroad doesn’t have to mean burning everything down and starting over. It can mean finding work that actually fits your brain, your energy, and your life goals.
Ready to Stop Fighting Your Own Brain?
The world is full of opportunities for people who think differently. Remote work, international opportunities, digital nomad visas – there are more pathways to work abroad than ever before.
I’m Megan, and I help people escape careers that drain them by finding real pathways to remote work and opportunities abroad. Whether you want to become a digital nomad, secure a local position overseas, or find remote work that lets you to travel and live anywhere, I’ll help you build a work life that actually makes sense for how your brain works.
You can learn more about me here. Or, if you’re ready to explore what working abroad might look like for you, book a free 1:1 Work Abroad Exploration call with me and let’s figure out your next move together.
Life’s too short to spend it fighting your own brain. You deserve work that works with you, not against you – and sometimes that means taking it abroad.