How You’ll Fail as a Digital Nomad, If You Don’t Do These - Freework

5min read

2/13/2019

How You’ll Fail as a Digital Nomad, If You Don’t Do These

5min read

2/13/2019

Freelancing can be liberating in a lot of ways but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Follow these crucial steps to avoid failure.

Traveling the world seems like the most magical way of life. You could enjoying exotic, white sandy beaches one week and the next, touring ancient castles while snug in your parka. Variety is the spice of life, they say. But variety does not necessarily mean success. Being a successful nomad, you’ve got to get real about a few things.

Who knows, maybe even after reading this list, you may decide the life of digital nomad may not be your style. Or perhaps, you may consider tweaking a few aspects to make it more suited to your personal tastes. These are common ways people fail as a digital nomad. Take the time to sit down and think about each of the following considerations in being a digital nomad.

Table of Contents

  • Get real about your financial situation

  • Know your social range

  • Travel smartly

  • Commit to doing everything right

  • Implement a routine

Get real about your financial situation

This is the toughest aspect to look into the eye, for most people—digital nomad or not. Examining your finances to actually assess whether a digital nomad lifestyle is possible is the most fundamental step to take. It’s not easy. It may not be pleasant. But it is necessary. A few questions to ask yourself, “Do I have debt? How much? Will I be able to pay off that kind of debt quickly while traveling?” One thing about traveling: credit cards are an excellent tool. Like any tool, though, they are only beneficial to you if they are used correctly. If you have to finance your travels with a credit card, it will not be worth it. “But I get points!”, you may retort, “It’s great to use a credit card!”. Again, only if you are financially stable to pay off that credit card every month, instead of slowly getting yourself into debt. Create a document that examines income, monthly expenses, and other odds and ends. Be real when you can afford to shift over to traveling full-time.

Know your social range

You may consider yourself an independent person, which is perfect for a digital nomad. Though it should be note that being on the road by yourself gets lonely. Often you will not have a support system, a group of friends with you. If you simply want to chat about the weather with a family member on the phone, you may have to wait 8 hours due to time zone differences. It can be an isolating experience. On a deep level, reflect how much you need this kind of support.

Travel Smartly

Traveling itself is an exhausting business. Early morning flights, late-night cab rides through a new city, and packing (and re-packing) gets old really quickly. If you plan on becoming a digital nomad, make sure your calendar works for your well-being. You don’t want to burn out when moving. “Slow travel” is a great option for digital nomads, if they can swing staying in a place for a few months. That way, you can begin to build a little community wherever you are. You can rest and hang out, instead of just hurrying and seeing the sights. Pick a place to stay for a goo, long while to avoid feeling fatigued.

Commit to doing everything right

A traveling freelancers sounds like a dream, but there is little room for error.

  1. You’re in foreign countries.

  2. You’re usually on your own.

  3. You have to pay everything—from health insurance to accounting.

  4. You have to deliver for clients

  5. You’ve got to keep your sanity.

This all has to be done by you, even when you’re sick or not feeling like working or taking care of yourself. Whatever you’re doing, do right. There are stories of nomads not really succeeding at traveling nor their job. They didn’t find the rhythm at travel or at working remotely. Which leads to the next…

Implement a routine

Make a daily routine. Re-iterate it until it works for you. You may have to go through a few versions of what that looks like for you, but with traveling, you’ve got find a flow that is both productive and tailored to your needs. It doesn’t mean you have to get up at 4am… but for some, that’s exactly what works for them to accomplish work tasks and feel relaxed. Travel and work is a continuous flow in the life of a digital nomad. A routine is the variable that makes both of these things move like clock-work. Science points out a few things what to and what to avoid in a daily routine, like avoid mid-afternoon caffeine or get an early-morning workout. Not exactly new news, but still a good reminder. Check out what the successful people do endless; the most important thing is find something that works for you.

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