While I don’t care for the term “digital nomad”, there’s little doubt that that’s what I am. And the sheer number of Digital Nomad Facebook groups I’m a member of will tell the same story.
The fact is, after 7 years on the road working from various countries around the world, I’ve learned plenty of lessons. Before we get started, my top lesson is to always take travel insurance. Compare travel insurance with Webjet before you go anywhere. Here are a few things you should know if you’re considering doing the same:
Be realistic
If you think being a digital nomad is going to magically solve all of your problems, you’re wrong. And while some of them may be solved, you’ll have some new problems too. This isn’t meant to dissuade you, but it’s important to get serious about why you want to be a digital nomad and how much it will do for your life. If you’re hoping for travel, flexibility, and challenge, welcome to digital nomadhood. If you’re thinking you’ll suddenly be a different person, think again. In my experience, everything in your personality becomes “more” when you’re a digital nomad. This includes both your positive and negative traits.
Get your money sorted
You know what’s stressful? Living in some of the cheapest nomad hubs and still wondering how you’ll pay rent. While this does force you to hustle and find clients, I don’t recommend it as a digital nomad strategy. Instead, if I could do it all again, I would probably save for another six months and find a few more clients before I left.
If you’ve got an idea for an online business, see how realistic it is before you drop everything and decide to launch it on the road. Same goes with freelancing- it simply makes sense to have at least a few clients ready to go so you can hit the ground running.
Take time to travel
It seems obvious, but when you’re launching a business or a new career, it’s easy to get wrapped up in it and find that you’ve been staring at your laptop for three weeks straight. If you wanted to spend all day typing away in an air conditioned room, you probably would have kept your 9-5 right?
Sure, building a business takes time. But it’s important to remember why you’re doing this in the first place- which is probably so you can explore the world while you’re building that business. Rent a car with Webjet and go on a road trip, find a beach and relax with a drink in your hand, or disconnect from the world and go hiking somewhere remote.
