What is a Digital Nomad
Traditionally, a nomad is someone with no home base. Nomads constantly travel the world, roaming from place to place, moving with the seasons, and living off the land. The modern nomad has gone Digital.
The internet has made it possible to connect with anybody, irrespective of where they are on the globe. A Digital Nomad is someone who makes their money online while traveling around the world. Nomads are not tied to one location. They have the freedom to work anywhere in the world, so long as they have a laptop and an internet connection.
Benefits of Becoming a Digital Nomad?
Flexible Lifestyle
Increase Creativity
Be Adventurous
Live Wherever you Like
Before becoming engrossed in finding out how to become a Digital Nomad, you first have to determine if it’s a suitable lifestyle for you. Digital Nomads live exciting lives, they travel to exotic locations and work wherever they want. The Digital Nomad lifestyle has many benefits:
Flexible Lifestyle
Imagine the feeling of deciding when you want to work every day. There is no 9 – 5 schedule to follow and you get to be your own boss. You don’t have to work at home. Furthermore, there is no commute to work or getting stuck in frustrating traffic. This leads to more productivity and a higher quality of life.
Increase Creativity
The perfect recipe for creativity is the interaction of seemingly unrelated ideas. As a Digital Nomad, you get to work in different places every day, interact with new people, and gather a robust set of experiences. These varied experiences increase your capabilities for creative discoveries.
Be Adventurous
When you become a Digital Nomad, your life becomes more adventurous, you do not get stuck in boring routines and get to constantly discover new places. Broaden your life perspective, experience exotic cultures, and make lifelong friends.
Live Wherever You Like
As a nomad, you are not tied to any location. How would you feel if you could sit on a beach in Brazil, overlooking the sea while you work? Or maybe you would prefer working in Japan for the winter, skiing the slopes in your free time? Once you’re done there, head on over to Bali or Thailand. South East Asia is a hub for Digital Nomads looking to live in paradise on the cheap.
Where Do Digital Nomads Live?
Digital Nomads can live and work from anywhere! Factors to consider when choosing a Digital Nomad location will include Cost of Living, Quality of life, Internet Availability, and Networking Capabilities.
Over the past few years, the cities that have gained prominence as Digital Nomad hotspots are:
Bali, Indonesia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Barcelona, Spain
Lisbon, Portugal
Berlin, Germany
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Budapest, Hungary
All of these locations are relatively cheap to live in and travel. They each have large Digital Nomad bases, perfect for any travelers looking to join the lifestyle of a Digital Nomad.
How to Become a Digital Nomad
Becoming a Digital Nomad is the perfect lifestyle for anyone who wants to travel non stop and make money while doing so. There are so many ways in which Digital Nomads are able to monetize their travel adventures.
Travel content was one of the most popular niches online before the Coronavirus Lockdown and it will be again in the future. People love to consume travel content as it allows them to escape their reality and dream about exploring the world.
So grab a camera, a pen, and a laptop. Learn how to edit your content. Upload it online to your website and begin to grow a following. In time, as your following grows you will be able to turn your audience into an online income and use it to fund your travels.
If you are looking for ways to make money online, here are 25 of the best options for travelers. For a guide to becoming a paid freelancer, give this article a read.
5 Simple Steps on How to Become a Digital Nomad:
Reduce and Eliminate Expenses
Develop Necessary Skills
Decide on a Destination
Set Goals and Create a Plan
Join a Digital Nomad Community
1. Reduce and Eliminate Expenses
In order to travel with no end in sight, you need to manage your finances well. This can mean taking advantage of Geo-Arbitrage (living in a cheap location while earning money online in a foreign currency). When you work and travel at the same time, you will spend a lot less money than if you were vacationing without an income. Digital Nomad locations allow you to reduce expenses even further while you travel, meaning you can extend your stay.
2. Develop Necessary Skills
To live the nomadic life, you must be equipped with the skills necessary to survive. In the past that was the ability to navigate and live off the land, moving with the seasons. Now you need to navigate and dominate the digital world.
You can develop skills to help you succeed in this environment. Being versatile will help you to diversify your online income and give you a higher chance of succeeding in the Digital Nomad lifestyle. It is helpful to be adept in technology, writing, web design, photography, accounting, and marketing when looking for Digital Nomad roles.
Further Reading: Valuable Insights on How to Get Into Coding
3. Decide on a Destination
A huge part of becoming a Digital Nomad is the destination you choose. The world is truly your oyster. Look for places with cheap flights, cheap living, a good internet connection, a large Digital Nomad base, and a sense of safety. Some of the top Digital Nomad locations are listed above. As a Digital Nomad myself, I like to spend around 3-6 months in each location before experiencing another place. This keeps my life from falling into a routine and allows me to explore a lot of locations around the world.
4. Set Goals and Create a Plan
It can be tricky to get into a good work routine while you are traveling. Setting goals and create a plan is crucial to your success as a Digital Nomad. I like to do Daily, Weekly, and Monthly objectives to help me stay focused. The life of a Digital Nomad may seem like it is all travel, but in reality, it is still a lot of work.
When on the road you need to separate work from leisure or you will constantly feel like you are working, and burn out. Be sure to block out some time for work, allow yourself to get in the zone, and stay focused. Then dedicate some time where you go out and explore new places (be sure to put your laptop away).
5. Join a Digital Nomad Community
There is a constantly growing community of Digital Nomads around the world. You will find large hubs of them in the popular Digital Nomad locations listed above.
All Nomads are connected to the internet, which leads to online communities were Digital Nomads are happy to engage with one another. Connecting to communities can help further your abilities to make money while you travel and grow your online business.
Summary
Digital Nomads generate money online while traveling around the world. Nomads do not tie themselves to one location for long. If they are armed with a laptop and an internet connection, they can work anywhere.
The lifestyle of a Digital Nomad is filled with adventure and excitement. However, it requires courage, self-discipline, and online income. Before deciding to become a Digital Nomad, weigh the pros and cons and decide if it’s worth it for you. If it is, then get ready to experience the world like never before!
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