“There is even once Azure cafe to be found”

My LinkedIn is expanding more and more with English-speaking friends and would like these to include me in my journey as a Digital Nomad. Hence, this blog is in English.

The past few months have felt a bit restless. But they were also great months because friends came to visit. I even went to the Philippines for a visa run, where I met up with my cousin and friend Daan. Together, we explored this beautiful island – definitely a recommended place to visit. To top it off, my mother and her partner also came to visit this stunning island, Bali.

In between all the visits, I completed the online course Architects Accelerator by Untethered 365 . An extra challenge was the location I was in, combined with the Wi-Fi. The connection at Denpasar airport wasn’t the best 😅. Still, it was a valuable learning experience. I now have a much better understanding of tools like Azure AI Studio, Copilot Studio, and Power Pages. Hopefully, I’ll be able to apply this knowledge in future projects. A nice bonus was gaining a few international Power Platform friends along the way. With the knowledge I gained, I am now preparing to take the official Microsoft certification (PL-600) as a Solution Architect. It’s clear that you’re never really done learning in IT.

Recently, a potential client from Germany has come into the picture. We are in talks, but it’s progressing step by step. Is the distance going to be an issue? Or maybe the temporary nature of the work? Fellow freelancers, does this sound familiar? Still, it’s exciting 😉💪. To be continued.

In between all this, I listened to a great podcast by Tibor featuring Paul Rulkens. Paul Rulkens talks about his book “Excellent” – High-Performance Principles for Business and Professional Success. The book focuses on achieving exceptional performance and success in both professional and personal life. It offers strategies and insights on how to stand out and excel, based on the idea that success is a conscious choice you make. That sounds interesting, but is it achievable?

That same evening, I downloaded the e-book on my Kobo Ereader (By the way, highly recommended if you read a lot and don’t want to carry too many kilos of books). I found it to be a good read, providing several new insights on how I can improve as an IT professional, but also for my own business activities. A quote that really made me think was:

“The choices you make today determine your results tomorrow, next month, and next quarter.”

The book was packed with ideas and tips to take action on. So, I want to share a tip with you that I’m going to implement myself (to stay accountable 👌). Every morning and evening, I’m going to write down 5 professional/personal goals, but describe them as if they have already been achieved. The idea is that you unconsciously start living toward these goals and eventually realize them. I want to adopt this habit. Let’s see how this ‘journey’ goes, especially with all the distractions Bali has to offer. I also know from past experience that changing habits is tough. But I’m going for it 💪.

All in all, it’s been a summer full of developments and experiences 😊.

This digital nomad keeps moving forward 👍.

With Balinese regards,

Sander