Technology has broken down barriers and allowed people to work remotely, opening up work-from-home positions which many creative individuals have taken up and spun it into a position they can hold from anywhere in the world. Along with the rise of social media advertising and blogging and ecommerce, it is now completely possible to survive anywhere with just your backpack and your laptop.
Settle your debts
The world of remote work means that you will not be able to receive a stable income, therefore if you are still laden with debt, it might not be a good time to go on the move and chase this dream. On the bright side, you can treat this as a target for you to strive towards before moving on to working remotely. It will provide you with motivation and a chance to plan for what you want to do on your great adventure. However, if you move to a country which has a low cost of living, you might be able to pay off all your debts whilst traveling, which was what one Canadian, $16,000 in debt managed to do when she moved to Korea to teach English. Therefore, it is important to plan. A nomadic lifestyle might seem carefree to most – which makes it so alluring – but the truth is that being a digital nomad is far more stressful than having an office job as you will have to worry about each upcoming meal and board for the night. There is no true stability when you choose to forsake your desk for a dream.
Talk to your boss
Before you decide to cut ties and do anything drastic, perhaps (if you job scope allows it) you could negotiate with your boss regarding you working from home. Many desk positions can be done from home as communications are largely through the internet at this point. Emails and apps which can be accessed through a personal laptop, hence being able to free you from being tied to the office. There are graphic designers, web developers, content producers, who are able to take their work home and essentially home could be anywhere and therefore enable you to travel around the world. Therefore, you will be able to keep a steady paycheck. This could be extremely useful if you are planning to explore less-expensive parts of the world (namely, Asia) as you would be able to live it up without worrying about running out of runs. However, if you job scope requires you to be present, unfortunately, the only thing you are able to do is to find a new vocation. This will not be an easy task especially for those who are dedicated and passionate about what they do. On the flip side, you will be able to gain new experiences and then return to a similar position in the future.
Find online work
The first thing people might think of would probably be to start a blog, a Youtube account or to become an Instagram influencer. These are the top three online vocations but there are definitely more ways than those three. If you are an apt writer, you could publish an ebook or write for a content producing company such as a writing service business or an established website or e-magazine – that would be able to keep you afloat, especially if the firm requires frequent writeups. If you have a professional skill such as graphic designing or web development, you can offer it up as well. You can also set up an ecommerce site and sell merchandise if you have the following for it, or simply dip your toe into fashion, electronics or whatever rocks your boat.
Pick up an offline gig
There are certain things which you can do in order to supplement your salary, such as working part time near your lodgings or offer up English classes, personal training (if you are a trainer), etcetera. Think about the skills you possess and how you can monetize them.
Do not get attached
A digital nomad is defined as someone who has no fixed permanent residence and since humans are creatures of habit, it would be all too easy to fall into that comfort or taking up residence in a place they feel secure in. Do not give in to that as it will only make it harder to continue with the lifestyle you have struggled to obtain.
