Leaving the consolation and wage of a gentle workplace job for the uncertainty of life as a self-employed digital nomad is a big change, each personally and professionally. I did it myself in 2021 after I left my job as a lawyer in London.
Total, it was an incredible resolution and I’m infinitely happier than I used to be earlier than. However, it’s not all roses and sunshine. It may be laborious at occasions, however in the end, I feel the challenges are well worth the large upsides.
Listed here are the steps that helped me go from office-bound and depressing to location-independent and free. The following tips all come from my very own private expertise. I hope they’re helpful and enable you pull off your individual escape.
The right way to Plan Your Exit: Going From Workplace Desk to Digital Nomad
Whether or not you’re craving freedom, journey, limitless journey, higher climate, or just a life exterior the company field (for me, it was all of these issues), right here are some things I extremely suggest you do first. This can assist set your self up for fulfillment, earlier than taking the plunge.
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Mirror on Your Why and Objectives
Earlier than you write your resignation letter, take a step again and ask your self why you need to turn out to be a digital nomad. What’s driving this resolution? Whether or not it’s the liberty to discover new locations, the possibility to work by yourself phrases, or simply wanting to flee workplace life, understanding your motivation is vital.
For me, it was the frustration of being caught in a inflexible routine, and the stuffiness of the authorized career. I noticed I needed a way of life that prioritized flexibility and journey. This “why” nonetheless offers me readability and motivation to at the present time, and helps me keep targeted when occasions get powerful.
Write down your targets – each private {and professional}. Do you need to see particular nations? Be taught new abilities? A brand new language? Create a sustainable revenue on-line? Construct a mighty enterprise empire? Having clear aims will assist information your choices and maintain you motivated.
Construct Monetary Stability and Safety
Cash stress is likely one of the worst elements of being a freelancer. That’s why making a strong monetary security internet is crucial earlier than you hand in your discover. You’ll want financial savings to cowl at the least a number of months of residing bills, plus an emergency fund, and a plan for regular revenue going ahead.
My enterprise took nearly a 12 months to begin making any cash. Being in Central America for the primary few months of my nomad life actually helped make the cash I had saved go additional. However, if I hadn’t constructed up a pot of financial savings earlier than I give up my job, I might’ve quickly run out.
Earlier than leaving your job, make a finances, lower pointless bills, and attempt to save as a lot cash as potential. You don’t have to have already constructed up a enterprise to the purpose of profitability earlier than you hit the street, however the nearer you’re to this stage, the much less dangerous it will likely be.
Develop Distant Work Expertise
One of many issues I really like most about being a digital nomad is the flexibility to journey as a lot as you want. However, prefer it or not, you’ll nonetheless most likely have to spend a big chunk of your time working – even when you can nip off for a cheeky surf between conferences.
As many people realized throughout the pandemic, remote work requires fairly a unique mindset than working within the workplace. You want private self-discipline, strong communication abilities, and the flexibility to handle your time successfully with out having a boss trying over your shoulder.
I discover this a lot simpler working by myself enterprise that I care deeply about. However, don’t underestimate how totally different the expertise is. When you aren’t already, get conversant in instruments equivalent to Slack and Groups, and take into account taking on-line programs or enrolling in a training program that will help you upskill.
Analysis Potential Locations
Not all locations are created equal for digital nomads. Some locations (like Thailand and Portugal) are recognized for his or her low value of residing, lightning-fast web, welcoming angle to nomads, and thriving communities of distant employees. Different locations are more difficult.
Selecting the correct vacation spot to your way of life and finances could make or break your expertise. Bear in mind your individual priorities. Would you like year-round sunshine? Quick access to coworking areas? A low-key vibe or a busy social scene? Rural or city? Is the time zone prone to be a problem?
Your first vacation spot doesn’t need to be good. I spent a month in Chiapas, Mexico after I first began out. It’s a fully gorgeous place, but it surely wasn’t ideally suited for distant working, with common energy cuts and ropey web. I additionally managed to catch dengue and covid on the identical time – tough.
Begin With a Trial Run
Earlier than you give up your job and absolutely decide to the digital nomad way of life, attempt dipping your toes within the water. A brief-term trial run may give you a style of what it’s prefer to work remotely whereas touring, with out the stress of creating every part good immediately.
I did this by spending a few weeks in Portugal whereas I used to be nonetheless working at my previous job. My work was effective with me doing it (it was the summer time of 2020, so distant work was the norm anyway), and I obtained a style of what digital nomadism could be like earlier than going all in.
This will not be potential in your present circumstances, however, when you do get the chance to do a trial run like this, I’d extremely suggest it. It’ll assist you determine what works (and what doesn’t), what tech and kit you do (and don’t) want, and the way well-suited you’re to working in a non-traditional setting.
Plan Your Tech and Instruments
Having the precise tech setup is crucial in terms of engaged on the street. You’ll want a setup that’s dependable, transportable, and retains you productive (and cozy) regardless of the place you’re on the earth.
My tech stack consists of my MacBook Professional, wi-fi keyboard and mouse, foldable laptop computer stand, noise-canceling headphones, exterior laborious drive (for backups), common energy adapter, extension cable, and my iPhone (with an eSIM for whichever nation I’m in).
Don’t neglect software program subscriptions, too. I take advantage of Google Drive, Zoom, Microsoft Workplace, and numerous search engine optimization and running a blog subscriptions on a near-daily foundation. Tailor your individual record as wanted.
Construct a Help Community
Being a digital nomad may be isolating at occasions, particularly when you’re touring solo. I’m lucky to be sharing this journey with my associate, however nonetheless, it may be powerful typically. Most of our pals are 1,000s of miles away, and so they usually don’t relate to issues we wrestle with on a day-to-day foundation.
That’s why constructing a help community is so vital. Coworking areas may be nice locations to fulfill different like-minded individuals. I’ve made pals at social occasions organized at coworking areas, each in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, and I’m nonetheless in contact with a number of of them so far.
Don’t underestimate the worth of those relationships. Fellow nomads can share insights about locations they’ve been, suggest instruments that work for them, and even collaborate with you on tasks. It’s additionally nice to have the ability to share your experiences with individuals who “get” it, as your mates from house won’t.
Additionally: Dariece and Nick’s “Distant Goats” teaching program is designed to information you thru the method of changing into a web based entrepreneur and making a location-independent way of life. I want I’d had that form of help after I began!
Take the Leap
Planning and preparation are important, however sooner or later, you’ve simply obtained to go for it. Setting a agency exit date may also help you keep targeted and provide you with one thing to work towards. And not using a clear timeline, it’s straightforward to get caught within the “planning” section perpetually.
It is going to probably really feel like an incredible leap of religion. And it’ll most likely be riskier than staying in a secure salaried job. However, there’s additionally the danger of trying again in your life and regretting not having tried one thing like this. For me, that might be a far worse final result than my enterprise not understanding.
Belief in your planning, but in addition settle for that not every part will go completely. And that’s okay – each nomad’s journey is exclusive. Embrace the uncertainty. And keep in mind, if it doesn’t work out, or when you change your thoughts about what you need, the choice to return to a extra “conventional” life will nonetheless be there.
In Conclusion
Turning into a digital nomad is an enormous resolution, however with the precise planning and mindset, it’s completely achievable. By breaking the method into manageable steps, and following the guidelines I’ve shared right here, you’ll be setting your self up for fulfillment.
It’s not all the time straightforward, but it surely’s so price it. Leaving the conformist, hierarchical workplaces and fits of the company world to create a lifetime of freedom and journey was probably the greatest decisions I’ve ever made. It’d simply be the identical for you, too. You’ll by no means know till you attempt.
