Most of the world wasn’t paying attention when Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners claimed in 1997 that it was only a matter of time before a communication device capable of fostering remote work was created. Fast forward to the present day and the duo have been amply proven correct.
For several valid reasons, many professionals across various ages and socio-cultural groups buy into the digital nomad lifestyle daily.
Independent location jobs are becoming more popular, so it only makes sense that you want to know what all the fuss is about.
The location-independent lifestyle does offer a substantial amount of rewards. That being said, you should also brace yourself for a few remote work challenges.
Before you start getting excited and searching for the best digital nomad gear and equipment to invest in, you should take a step back and try to see the entire picture first.
Is the digital nomad way of life for you? Or should you pursue another path? Here’s all it takes to make the most informed decisions!
What Is A Digital Nomad?
A digital nomad is a professional who moves from place to place while taking independent location jobs. The average digital nomad office setup only takes a little to put together. They usually require a coffee shop or public library with good-quality wireless Internet for their phones and laptop devices, and they’re good to go!
The most appealing thing about the digital nomad lifestyle is that it provides limitless digital nomad income ideas while allowing you the ideal avenue to see the world. If you enjoy your own company like me and love traveling, the digital nomad lifestyle is a no-brainer.
Why Digital Nomadism Is On The Rise
Most of us grew up with the understanding that the 9-5 work schedule was the only means of securing gainful employment. While that may have been true then, remote work has shown that you can live however you want without restricting your income potential.
More businesses and employees subscribe to the location-independent job paradigm because of the numerous remote work benefits.
The biggest reason for the significant boost in the number of remote workers we see today is that it’s rewarding both for the company and the individual.
For instance, companies save on the cost of maintaining a physical location and furnishing, cleaning, and maintaining said location.
They also record significantly less employee turnover and cases of absenteeism.
Along the same lines, employees get to work from their comfort zone, be more flexible with executing tasks, and even enhance their productivity. And as I have mentioned before, nomadism has changed my life entirely!
I can choose my working and waking hours and still deliver my best! What used to be a sluggish afternoon has now turned into a productive errand run.
My work starts in the evening when I get to put on my best thinking cap and work in a comfortable room with slow jazz in the background.
Undoubtedly, remote jobs have spoiled me, and an independent lifestyle has a lot to offer– time, mentality, physical, and even financial!
Before buying that one-way ticket to Asia, let’s cover some of the common known pros and cons of entering the remote workspace.
Digital Nomad Remote Work Benefits
Taking on independent location jobs affords you the opportunity to:
Explore The World
All digital nomad income ideas have one very important thing in common: they all allow you to live anywhere you choose!
Even if you’re broke, there are resources out there that will make your travel experience a memorable and affordable one. Consider Worldpackers. Choose your destination and what you can contribute to the society or your host. Voila – it is as simple as that!
Alternatively, there are a few Facebook groups like World Wide House Sitting and Pet Sitting Community or Host A Sister 🌎(only for females) where you can switch places or render your service in exchange for shelter and food (sometimes your host might cover food but not all the time!)
When living the digital nomad lifestyle, you don’t have to commute across any distance or clock in physically at a location before you can start work.
Without being chained to a specific location (i.e., your office), you can work out of Paris’s beautiful, bustling city or out of a tastefully designed coffee shop in Lugano.
Imagine the work freedom you get here gives you all the leverage you need to see as much of the world as you can take!
Control Over Spending = Save Money
Another perk of being a digital nomad is that it gives you greater control over spending. Even without using digital nomad budgeting tips, the fact that you won’t have to spend anything on transportation to work means you get to keep more in the bank. No more eating out too–you get to prepare healthy meals at home.
Similarly on the housing front, you can opt for less expensive rent options because you won’t need to pick your accommodation based on its proximity to any location. Better yet, you are not required to stick a timezone (unless your job requires you to!) and you get to choose cheaper countries to relocate to as well.
Escape The Typical Toxic Workplace Environment
The traditional workplace indeed has its benefits. What is also true is that it has some major drawbacks as well. Arguably, one of the biggest of these is office politics. Even though it can be beneficial, more often than not, (toxic) office politics inevitably leads to a hostile work environment.
What makes this worse is that there usually needs to be more avoiding this situation in the conventional workspace. As a Harvard Business Review study highlights, one way or the other, you would ultimately get dragged into office politics. This rat race will quickly lead you to burnout, high-stress levels, and a greater inclination to play hooky.
Thankfully, a hostile work environment isn’t one of the remote work challenges you must deal with. Even when you have to collaborate with teammates as a digital nomad, all interactions are virtual, so there’s less risk of being drawn into unpleasant situations.
Hone Your Adaptability
Living a digital nomad lifestyle also gives you the perfect opportunity to operate outside your comfort zone selectively. As you’ll typically be moving from place to place, you’ll eventually develop the ability to adapt to different situations fluidly readily.
It’s also worth mentioning that some remote work benefits you’ll enjoy here include better brain health and improved cognitive function. You won’t only have new and exciting experiences, but your ability to learn new things will also become sharper.
Make New And Different Friends
Working independent location jobs often means meeting and engaging new and interesting people. The high global exposure you’ll get here will put you in the perfect position to gain memorable experiences and build bonds that’ll last a lifetime.
For example, there’s a decent chance that, along the way, you’ll meet other digital nomads like you. From sharing the digital nomad gear and equipment that work best for them to offering tips on designing the perfect digital nomad office setup and the most lucrative digital nomad income ideas, you’ve got a real adventure in store waiting for you!
Keep Your Own Time
As a digital nomad, you’re essentially your own boss – at least, up to a point. You get to choose your hours and have a greater degree of latitude over how you work. This is not an easy feat, as keeping your time can go a long way in making you more productive. Moreover, it ensures that you’ll be more motivated to work and be more time-efficient while at it.
Digital Nomad Remote Work Challenges
The job-location independent lifestyle has its fair share of demerits as well. Having a good idea of what these are before exploring the various digital nomad income ideas out there will do much to prepare you for what’s ahead.
In saying that, the key things to note here include:
Rotating Workplace May Affect Productivity
Operating a standard digital nomad office setup has been shown to increase productivity, and there’s no disputing that. However, that’s if and only if you can create the ideal conditions for working remotely.
Sadly, many digital nomads struggle to create the ideal work environment and effectively manage distractions. The implication is that they might be unable to produce output at maximum capacity.
Maintaining Relationships Can Be Tough
While you’re certain to meet many interesting people along your nomadic adventures, keeping up and maintaining those connections can prove rather challenging, especially if you plan on moving around for a while.
If you make a solid and consistent effort to stay in touch, you will likely retain connections with the new people you meet over time.
Constant Movement Can Become Tiring
There’s also the possibility that you get tired of the whole traveling thing when you don’t pace yourself. Undoubtedly, traveling is baffling fun.
What’s more, there’s hardly any location in the world you can choose to take a trip that won’t offer you a worthwhile experience–Giving yourself the gift of time and opportunity to soak in all you see before you decide to jet off to the next location is important.
You should also allow yourself sufficient room to rest, too. Otherwise, the stress of having to move around will catch up on you and possibly ruin your digital nomad experience.
The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Competent 21st-Century Digital Nomad
From the best digital nomad budgeting tips to understanding how to adapt your lifestyle for independent location jobs, quite a bit goes into becoming the complete digital nomad in this day and age.
The best tips to follow to create the perfect digital nomad lifestyle this year include:
Test Run Digital Nomadism
One of the best ways to find out if the digital nomad route is for you is to try it! In saying this, you should know that digital nomadism is different for different professionals. As such, it can be experienced in various ways.
Critical to this is how you choose to travel. Two common routes you can follow along these lines include:
#1 – Fast Travel
Fast travel is essentially all about getting from one location to the next as fast as you can, aiming to soak in these different sights and experiences quickly.
If you are the type of traveler who can’t get enough time off your regular job to check out all the features of digital nomadism, fast travel can be the perfect avenue to explore. You could take a short leave of absence or a sabbatical to explore the viability of this option.
Of course, because you’re on a clock here, you must be extra diligent with your planning. You can start by:
- Vetting the location(s) you plan to visit very carefully
- Have a list of things you want to do and experience on the trip
- Consider all logistic elements carefully
- Have a detailed itinerary but also be as flexible as your trip goes
- Be ready to compensate for possible burnout
#2 – Slow Travel
With this method of travel, you get to spend considerably more time at any location you plan to visit. The biggest perk of this method of approach is that you get the time to soak in the culture and build lasting connections.
Beyond carefully researching the spot you want to check out, you should also practice the local language of the destination so you’ll be able to integrate better.
Also, instead of traveling conventionally, you should consider hitchhiking, as this will give you more avenues to meet people. Finally, be sure to open yourself to new experiences.
Be Good With Money
The digital nomad lifestyle isn’t necessarily expensive, but it does require that you have a decent amount of money. You don’t want to get caught in the middle of nowhere without sufficient funds.
Lack of planning and preparation can cause a major headache and anxiety when suddenly you realize your funds are running low. Hence, following the best digital nomad budgeting tips might be a good idea. Avoid joining this long line of remote workers who are constantly stressed about money.
Some of the best ways you can avoid any unpleasantness here include:
- Have a complete design for your current cash flow
- Have a good idea of how much your trip(s) will be costing you
- Open your purse strings sparingly
- Have a dedicated travel budget
- Keep close track of your expenses and cash flow with an expense tracker. Here’s a free one for you (I’m using this too!)
Adopt Minimalism
One of the most practical digital nomad budgeting tips you can follow when setting out is a minimalist approach to your trip.
Adopting minimalism can be very rewarding because it helps you have all the essentials you need without weighing you down with baggage.
It’s a simple measure to employ, too.
All you have to do is list all the items you want to take on a trip. Next, critically evaluate each one to determine if you’ll have a use for them on the road. That way, you’ll be able to identify and shed potential deadweights.
Know When To Drop Anchor
The entire point of embarking on a digital nomad adventure is to travel around and become a true citizen of the world. However, you need to know when to slow your roll. You should know when it’s time to stay in one spot for a little longer than usual.
It never hurts to find a place with a culture and people you like and set roots for a while. This can do wonders for keeping you grounded, invigorated, and excited for the next phase of your journey.
Beyond simply refreshing you, it also helps you create a real life, work more conveniently, and gather a new experience.
Plan Ahead, But Also Be Flexible
You can wing your operation when you work independent location jobs – that’s one of the biggest joys of it, after all. That said, things work much better when you follow a set routine.
Devise a proper schedule for all your activities. A schedule will ground you and add structure to your daily routine, which in turn helps you be on top of your priorities and avoid work stress easily by keeping everything in order.
However, keep in mind that not everything is bed of roses so it’s always good to keep an open mind of changes. That way you won’t beat yourself up when you can’t control external factors that ruined your trip.
Join A Community
The job-location independent lifestyle encourages solo work, but you can walk that road with others. And, yes, going it alone can be refreshing in its way. That said, there’s a place for learning from other people’s experiences.
A community provides companionship and a knowledge base that you can readily draw on. For all its remote work benefits, becoming a digital nomad has a rather steep learning curve.
In doing this, be sure to choose what communities you join very carefully. I’ve found a lot of value from Nomadlist and Couchsurfing.
Assemble The Right Digital Nomad Gear And Equipment
Finally, you must ensure you have the right equipment in your digital nomad office setup. The importance of investing in the right tools as a digital nomad must be addressed.
The right tools and resources can make completing your tasks easier and make you more productive.
Digital Nomadism Goes A Long Way
The digital nomad lifestyle is the future for many professionals. Factors like its high level of adaptability, cost-saving features, the avenue to explore the world, and other remote work benefits make it an attractive offering any day.
That said, you must look for potential remote work challenges like impaired productivity and burnout while moving.
What helps is making sure that you start your journey right. When you apply digital nomad budgeting tips like minimalism, proper planning, and leveraging communities, you can enter this space more successfully.
Here are a few more tips to help you on your journey. Happy trails!
Popular Questions About Living The Digital Nomad Lifestyle
What Is The Lifestyle Of A Digital Nomad In 2023?
The lifestyle of a digital nomad in 2023 involves moving from one destination to the next while leveraging modern technology to stay connected and work. The typically digital nomad is closely connected to the Internet and uses this resource to complete their tasks across long distances.
Is The Digital Nomad Lifestyle Worth It?
Yes, the digital nomad lifestyle is worth it. Although it boasts its fair share of remote work challenges, for those who love to travel, digital nomadism presents them with arguably the best opportunity to both see the world and make money.
Do I Need A Lot Of Money To Be A Digital Nomad?
No, you don’t need much money to be a digital nomad. With a fairly steady income coupled with the right digital nomad budgeting tips, most digital nomads usually get by quite well with an average of only $1000 to $2000 monthly expenses.
Should I Become A Digital Nomad?
Whether or not you should become a digital nomad depends on several key factors. First, you need to know things like if you like to travel, if your work can be conveniently done remotely, and if you’ll be willing to open yourself to the new and different experiences you will encounter.
While there can be no doubt about its remote work benefits, it’s also true that the lifestyle isn’t for everyone.
Is The Location-Independent Lifestyle For Young People Alone?
Actually, the location-independent lifestyle is not only for “young people.” Nowadays, the 40s is the new 30s, and the 30s is the new 20s, or so the society claims. Although the vast majority of professionals with independent location jobs are young people in their 20s, the door is open to people of all ages including nomadic families to partake in digital nomadism’s unique experiences.
