You’ve probably heard one of the most popular digital nomad statement that goes: “With the right skills and strong internet connection, you can literally make a living everywhere.” And it is true. To most people, digital nomads (who are, if you haven’t figured it out already, people who earn their living online and are able to travel and change locations around the world whenever they feel like it) really seem to have it going on. After all, they managed to accomplish the impossible, and that is combining work and travel while balancing their online and offline lives at the same time. You will see them working from public libraries, coffee shops, as well as co-working spaces, which makes their lifestyle so recognizable and unique.
Their main lifestyle characteristics
Being a digital nomad has some characteristics that are common for at least 99 percent of them. Some of those are:
Switching from one place to another
Sure, they have a place they call home – such as their family house, but they won’t spend more than a few months there per year. And speaking of home, they are not willing to find a new one either, since they consider ‘change’ as their home, and that pretty much depicts their life thoughts and general attitude.
Avoiding attachments
This refers to both things and people. Why? Because attachments would tie them to some specific location. Basically, whatever keeps them away from living their nomadic life freely is avoided – including excessive stuff, unnecessary belongings and relationships with people that are holding them down. After all, no one wants to be around a toxic person that doesn’t appreciate them or what they do, right?
Light travel is a must
For nomads, a minimalist lifestyle is definitely an imperative, which is why they choose to travel as light as they can. Dragging tons of suitcases filled with unnecessary stuff will only slow them down, and you will more often spot them with only their backpack and maybe just one more extra bag with bare essentials. Their goal is to experience life first-hand and that’s it.
How to make money as a digital nomad?
Okay, so your heart is set for this lifestyle. But how do you actually go about doing it? Firstly, you have to handle two things: your debt and expenses, and your income. If you are in some serious debts, you will find it hard to almost impossible to become a digital nomad. So, make sure you handle your debt first. Next, there is the income. Where is the money going to come from? What will happen if you get stuck in a foreign country with no backup incomes? How will the money come in? What about your goals and passive incomes? Have in mind that you cannot just rely on one source of income – you have to have multiple streams in order to live a care-free nomadic life.
E-book
One of the best passive income ideas is publishing an e-book. You can use Amazon’s Kindle direct publishing platform for it, or create a corresponding print-on-demand book from your e-book – also on Amazon. And once your book is out there, you can convert it into an audiobook and publish it on Audible.com, for example.
Blog
This is another great passive income source. If you are familiar with mechanics of online marketing and can do it correctly, you can create a blog that will constantly produce income, no matter whether you are doing any work or not. The more niches you go with – the better.
Online courses
Depending on your skills, you can create courses for a wide variety of areas. In other words, you can teach anything – whether that is singing, foreign language, cooking, repairing stuff, drawing or playing an instrument – the internet is your stage.
Social media marketing
If you have a wide social media following, you can use your profiles to earn some extra cash by promoting various products and services. Not only you will make some nice money, but you will also get a bunch of cool free stuff.
Some not-so-glamorous facts
Sure, as a digital nomad you are living the dream of pretty much every office rat ever – but it is not all unicorns and rainbows.
You are traveling, but not vacationing
This is the most important fact of them all. Every time you arrive to a new destination you will want to get lost in the streets and alleys, try the cuisine, talk to strangers etc. BUT, work comes first, and deadlines are an absolute priority.
“What about my dog?!”
It is a brave move to bring your dog with you, let me tell you THAT. Even though they make the best travel buddies, some risks may be too big to be worth gambling with. What if it gets cold in the storage space of an airplane? You will have to have a stack of dog sweaters on-hand. What if your pet is unable to digest that exotic food? To prevent that from happening, check out RoyalCanin retailer online and get a 100% safe food for your furry friend. Think about this – it is quite a big step.
Oh, you’re tired, you say? You poor thing.
It is already tomorrow in Japan, honey. Your deadline is TODAY. No one cares about your jet lag; you are the one who choose this lifestyle, remember? And, not to mention the bed lag, which is translated to amount of nights you need to get used to sleeping in a new space.
You’ll be repeating your outfits
You will explore the cities every day and spend a lot of time outside – DUH. However, you’ll be doing that with a limited baggage. In other words, slow down with the selfies!
Forget about souvenirs
Two reasons: number one – where would you carry them??? And two: where will you put them anyway? Take pictures and hope that will be enough to take you back.
So, what do you think? Are you ready for this lifestyle?
