When some people are on vacation they get to a point in which they are ready to get back home. It was fun to be away but the comfort of home is calling. Others actually dread it. They want to stay on the road and keep traveling until they don’t want to anymore.
These days, if you have that kind of wanderlust, you can actually keep going. There are people called digital nomads that work remotely or own a business online like an eCommerce store. Since they don’t need to go to an office, they can work from anywhere in the world. So they do.
In this article, I will give you a few tips to get you started on the idea that you can become a digital nomad and live like you are on a permanent vacation.
Figure out your lodging needs
There are a lot of ways to travel as a digital nomad. Some people love to backpack and stay in hostels and then find a coffee shop where they can work from their computer. Others need more creature comforts and choose downtown Toronto apartments that are furnished and have all the modern amenities you need to get work done in comfort.
Others opt to live in a camper or RV and just roll into the next destination so they can bring the comforts of home wherever they go. There is no set way to do it so make an evaluation of how you actually want to live when you get to your destination.
Of course, budget plays a big part in it so make sure that you understand the costs of whichever way you choose.
Related: Furnished Apartments in Austin: The Ultimate Solution for Short-Term Stays
Cut your expenses
When you first start out on the road, you are going to have some growing pains financially. You have to go very lean for the first year or two so get rid of as many expenses and debts before you hit the road. If you were renting before, then find a way to get out of your lease or sublet. If you own then you can rent out the house and use that as a form of income.
Gym memberships, subscriptions, and another wasteful spending will have to be gotten rid of. And if you can pay down a credit card or other debts then this will help you be flexible financially when problems arise.
Find a focus
It’s easy to think the way to be successful is to take on as much work as possible. The problem with this is that it waters down what you do and you won’t stand out. Instead of trying to take on work as a copywriter and then also take graphic design work try to stick with one thing. In fact, find a sub-niche within your field.
This way you become an expert in a certain area and build a reputation as being the go-to person for this type of work. An example of this would be if you are a graphic artist to be a logo designer and stick with that.
If you go too broad with your scope then you end up competing with a lot more people. The narrower your scope the less competition.
Don’t move too fast
There is a temptation among many digital nomads to try to see and do everything so they don’t stay long in one spot. Unless you are on vacation and don’t need to work, this is actually going to slow your growth.
Try to stay somewhere for at least a month before moving on so you can actually get work done and grow your business. There is a lot of time that goes into the planning and then the travel itself that takes away from your work. Not only that, but you don’t ever really get to see and experience a place when you move on too quickly.
It is more efficient and effective to settle for a bit before moving on. You’ll be able to focus on your work more so you will have more money. And you can really get a sense of what a place is like if you aren’t in a rush to move on.
Find a community
One of the biggest downsides to being a digital nomad is that it is lonely. You never stay in a place long enough to make a local connection. And if you do, you are moving on before it can deepen.
Look for online communities within the digital nomad topic. There are forums and Reddit communities where people can come together from anywhere in the world. It will help you to find people that understand the life you are living, give advice and just be a virtual shoulder to cry on when things get rough. And if you end up in the same city as somebody you’ve met online, you have a ready-made friend while you are there.
