A digital nomad is a location-independent person who uses technology in performing a job. They do not live in the same place where their company is located. They often stay in places where the cost of living is low while getting a Western standard income.
Digital nomads have several options in earning an income. These options include creating a blog, publishing an e-book, and providing online professional services. They were already performing remote work long before it became popular during the pandemic.
Even as digital nomads travel from one place to another, the pandemic has forced them to stay where they are as countries closed their borders in a bid to stem the entry of the virus. This is particularly true with the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus.
But the situation is expected to improve soon as the coronavirus vaccine is gradually being released all over the work. So, if you’re planning to become a digital nomad, here are a few things to remember:
Post Contents
Learn from Other Digital Nomads
The first thing to do is quite simple, surround yourself with people living the digital nomadic life. You can learn a lot from them, especially about what to expect in the places they’ve been to. Digital nomads normally take the road less traveled or places that aren’t usually on a tourism brochure. You can learn from their experience, especially if you’re planning to go to a place where they’ve been to.
Online tutorials can give you the basics, but they don’t give you the experience that comes from a real digital nomad. For instance, digital nomads can give you a heads up on the best coworking space in different countries worldwide. They can even introduce you to the owner of a house they rented when they stayed in a particular country. Learning from your mistakes can be a good teacher, but learning from others’ mistakes is even better.
Know Your Remote Work Tools
Digital nomads already used remote tools long before the pandemic started. This gives them an edge over people who are still starting in the world of remote working. With this, you should also familiarize yourself with the different tools you need to work anywhere in the world.
For instance, you need to know how to use Slack, Skype, Zoom, and other online collaboration or video-conferencing tools. Additionally, getting a good online file storage system allows you to store data on a cloud-based platform. Keeping data on these platforms allows you to increase your laptop’s storage space that you can use for other things, like your productivity tools.
You might want to learn other remote work tools, including Canva, Express VPN, and Adobe Creative Cloud. But the tools you’ll use depends on the type of online work you’re doing. For instance, if you’re a writer, you might not have much use of an online design tool. So, make sure you focus on the tools you’re going to use in the remote job you’re planning to do.
Develop Your Skills
Another thing you should do is to develop your skills in the profession you choose to work in. You shouldn’t be stagnant since technology is developing at a swift pace. You wouldn’t want to lose your job simply because you didn’t enhance the skills you already have.
Enhancing your skills is possible by enrolling in free online courses. You can also check tutorials online and stay up to date with the developments in your profession. For instance, if you’re a copywriter, you can learn content marketing or search engine optimization.
You might even want to learn skills outside of your main profession. This will give you the versatility you need if you’re interested in working in a job different from what you’re used to. You can try to learn graphic design, affiliate marketing, or even virtual assistance.
Get into the Right Mindset
Having the right mindset is important when you become a digital nomad. Since you don’t have a boss who checks on you every so often, you have to motivate yourself to work. You can try to follow a regular working schedule that includes breaks and time for lunch.
Having a schedule gives you a semblance of normality even though you’re working remotely. This is important to maintain your mental health. A digital nomad normally works alone, and it’s challenging to remain motivated.
Additionally, you can opt to work in a coworking space. While other people are also working there, they normally have their own jobs to do. But at the end of the day, you can socialize with other digital nomads and go out for dinner together.
The life of a digital nomad changed after the pandemic started. But once everything is back to normal, digital nomads can resume their travels around the world.
