Very often I obtain emails that ask – Earl, how can I stay the digital nomad way of life? How can I turn into a digital nomad?
I at all times reply and normally, my response begins off with one thing like:
That query equates to asking – how can I turn into an workplace employee?
They’re each very broad classes (and targets) that don’t actually provide a direct path or set of outlined steps to achieve them. They each exist however they’re each merely outer shells. What issues most is what you fill them with inside.
What’s inside?
A job. A technique to earn cash.
The Digital Nomad Fact
Right here’s the reality – the time period “digital nomad” just isn’t a job.
It’s a life-style. A digital nomad is an individual who has the liberty to maneuver round resulting from the truth that they will work from their laptop computer and/or different moveable units.
As a way to be a digital nomad, it’s essential work out a technique to earn cash. The nomadic half and the cash/work half are typically two very separate issues.
And discovering work that may present a nomadic way of life typically requires the identical course of as discovering a job that requires a each day 9-5 journey to the workplace:
- study your expertise, skills, pursuits and training
- work out which jobs are appropriate for what you’ll be able to provide
- slim it right down to jobs/work that curiosity you and supply advantages that match your wants
- attempt to get employed by an organization providing that job
- for some, you would possibly create your personal enterprise or freelance alternative as an alternative
Once more, whether or not you attempt to be a digital nomad or workplace employee, it’s essential discover a appropriate job/supply of revenue that may result in that way of life/work setting.
The Digital Nomad Alternatives
Fortunately, nowadays, the variety of jobs that may match up with a nomadic way of life is barely growing. For instance, between the years of 2009 – 2018, at any time when I met somebody on the highway who labored on-line, the possibilities have been fairly excessive that they have been a journey blogger or have been attempting to do one of many much less official jobs that I even talked about on this submit. However over the previous few years, that has modified considerably. Now I hardly ever meet one other journey blogger.
As a substitute, I meet information scientists, tech assist brokers, language tutors, skilled growth consultants, video editors, promoting reps, psychologists, app builders, journal editors, accountants, artists, trainers, human sources managers, musicians and on and on.
That is nice information. Because of this actual jobs that earn good cash, and provide a distant way of life, are extra accessible than ever.
Ignoring All of the Fluff
Positive, there’s additionally loads of fluff on the market too. And the purpose of this submit is to attempt to clarify how one can create an actual digital nomad way of life that gives the actual freedom you search. To take action, I’d ignore the fluff:
- programs that promise an unimaginable life with nearly no work
- get wealthy fast schemes
- the lure of ‘simple’ drop delivery success
- programs on how one can shortly turn into a profitable life coach
- anybody that teaches you one thing new and guarantees you fast outcomes
All of it sounds good and glamorous, nevertheless it’s not actuality, belief me.
If you wish to create a long run, sustainable nomadic way of life that gives the real freedom to maneuver round as you want, I’d personally concentrate on work that has an precise present market, loads of job alternatives and that pays an excellent, constant wage. I’d additionally extremely take into account making use of for precise distant jobs versus attempting to create your personal stream of revenue. It’s a far simpler and extra secure path to a profitable digital nomad way of life.
Additionally, it’s vital to needless to say work is figure. It doesn’t should be the ‘job of your desires’. That’s uncommon and, in my view, just isn’t one thing to attempt for. Or else you’ll be working round in circles for years looking for that ‘excellent job’.
As a substitute, attempt to seek out work that pursuits you to an honest diploma and lets you use your non-work time to do the issues that you simply actually wish to do in life. It’s about discovering a really perfect stability. The job pays the payments, and hopefully gives some satisfaction together with the liberty that an workplace job wouldn’t present. There’s at all times going to be a commerce off, however that’s completely okay.
My strategy to the digital nomad way of life is to take a step again from all of the noise, grand guarantees and too-good-to-be-true social media accounts which can be thrown in our faces nonstop. If you happen to actually wish to succeed, take a BIG step again, shake all of it off after which proceed with a extra grounded and targeted strategy, one based mostly in actuality and confirmed outcomes.
Use your precise expertise, information and skills. Discover precise jobs that pay properly and let you work remotely. Keep away from getting misplaced within the limitless, nonsensical rabbit gap of attempting to determine how one can work half-hour per day so as to spend the remainder of your time lounging at 5* resorts within the Maldives. Once more, that’s simply not actuality.
Alternatively, a nap on a hammock in Aruba every so often, in between work periods, can definitely occur…
The Digital Nomad Rewards
What’s actuality, is the alternative to stay a really fulfilling life. The chance to spend your time dwelling in locations all over the world, or in your personal nation, that you simply actually wish to expertise. The chance to spend your free time doing new actions, assembly new folks and absorbing a brand new tradition in ways in which wouldn’t be attainable in case you by no means left house.
That’s the objective – to have the ability to make selections which can be extra according to what you really wish to do and obtain in life as an alternative of what you need to do due to circumstances.
If I consider all my associates who stay this nomadic way of life as properly, it’s those that took a step again and ignored the noise and absurd guarantees which can be probably the most profitable. They’re those who’ve real freedom to journey the world, or keep put in a single place, as they need. They don’t seem to be on social media bragging about their travels and they aren’t making grand claims about what they earn whereas promoting a course on how one can earn the identical.
As a substitute, they’re those who’re quietly touring the world, doing their work every day and incomes good, constant cash that may hold them going for so long as they need, whereas additionally having the ability to save for his or her future on the similar time. A few of them have distant jobs with corporations and others began their very own companies however both manner, all of them ignored the noise and constructed one thing actual.
All of us have the power to make this digital nomad way of life occur if we wish. Simply have a look at the whole history of digital nomads and also you’ll get impressed to do exactly that.
We simply should do not forget that the muse of this way of life must be constructed out of sturdy, dependable substance (a job), exhausting work (there might be challenges) and time (it doesn’t occur shortly). As soon as that’s understood, the alternatives are certainly limitless and the prospect of success will increase drastically.
As at all times, if in case you have any questions in any respect, simply let me know and I’d be joyful to help!
