The Complete Guide To Become A Digital Nomad In 2019

The Complete Guide To Become A Digital Nomad In 2019

Did you just see a photo of a person with a laptop on his/her lap with a beautiful backdrop of the ocean behind, on Instagram and thought " I can do that " and now here you are searching for the life you see in that photo. 

I was the person you are now four years back and unfortunately, I didn’t give it much thought of actually researching about the life I wanted. 

I had no idea what being a digital nomad actually meant and how hard it can get, but I’m here to guide you and help you see what it really means to live life as a nomad. 

So how do you become a DIGITAL NOMAD? 

Table Content : 

1. What is a digital nomad?         

2. Pros of being a digital nomad   

3. Cons of being a digital nomad

4. Before you quit your job              

5. Preparing for your new life     

6. Build your own community     

7. Reality check                                     

-  Who Is A Digital Nomad?

Webster’s dictionary describes digital nomad as “ blah blah blah ….. “ 

you really think that will tell you what it truly means to be a digital nomad? 

I can go on a full on debate mode with anyone who has a definition of a digital nomad. Trust me most of the people I meet don't know what this means and the few that do know, know it all wrong.

This is not a form of living one's life rather it is one's life. We are not bounded by the restriction of the person who has a 9 to 5 job or an office. we do have the world before us to explore. 

We as digital nomads, don't have to be bound by these rules and that is what I like most about this job. It all sounds very fascinating and easy, doesn't it? the idea to be on an endless vacation? well then let me stop you right there. 

We don't take this as a vacation. Ask any digital nomad and you will hear one thing that we have in common. We all have a goal in there mind. 

May it be finding your true self or exploring the world or showing the wonders of the world to everyone. We do this because we believe in something and that is what drives us every day. We do this because we love to do it.

-  Pros Of Being A Digital Nomad 

1. Work Whenever And Wherever You Are 

This is the part I love the most. I can work at a coffee shop or in my Airbnb or at cheesy mountain backdrop and listen to the chirping of birds. 

There is no specific place or time I have to go to work. you can live at any place and do the job. This is the benefit of having a location independent job. 

Always wanted to go to Japan? simply go there for a month and explore while making money online. Want to go to the serene Himalayas? go to India for a while. 

Most digital nomads are freelancers or blogger and can make there own schedule. You decide when and where you work and no one really cares. 

2. Doing Something You Love 

Why did you quit your job and left your home state? the love for travel and too see and meet new people, right? well, that's what you will be doing. 

You will do something you truly love for your living. Many digital nomads Many digital nomads do the kind of work they thoroughly enjoy and are passionate about. 

Naturally, they are more motivated to work.

3. Ease Of Life

Don't get me wrong, it is a difficult life but once you get used to it you will love it even more.

The increased happiness and motivation often result in higher productivity and the strive to achieve more. 

You will find yourself in a more productive place where you can reflect upon your life and enjoy it at the same time. 

-  Cons Of Being A Digital Nomad 

1. Hard Work Is Often Not Acknowledged

It might sometimes look like it being a digital nomad is not an extended vacation.

Far from that. Especially in the beginning, it is a lot of hard work. 

You have to work long hours to settle into your new life and be successful with it. There are no paid holidays or sick days. 

You have to maintain a high level of productivity, even though you are working right next to a paradisiac beach. 

Sounds like no big deal but it sometimes is harder than you might think.

2. Social And Personal Life Will Suffer

 

kind of obvious right? you will be months and years apart from the people you love and you will notice there absence. 

Whenever I'm traveling I feel like I am forgetting my own life and the people I love. I'm always on a move and it is hard to keep in contact with everyone back home. 

Travelling around the world is fun and you meet so many interesting people on the way. But at the same time, you have to say goodbye to them again soon. 

3. Chaotic Life

Most digital nomads don’t have a permanent contract.

Their income is never guaranteed and strongly depends on how successful they can acquire new clients and how much they work. 

The same goes for accommodation. You constantly have to find places to live. 

New places with good wifi. New places to eat and make new friends. 

This is not something everyone can deal with in the long run.

- Before You Quit Your Job 

1. Get More Information About This Way Of Living

I also strongly suggest you to get as much information about this lifestyle as possible.

You can, of course, get a lot of information about it on my blog. But you should also have a look at stories of other digital nomads.

Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. 

Be honest with yourself and see if you can handle the downsides and if you are ready to overcome the obstacles you will face.

2. Give This Lifestyle a Test Run

Still on board? Awesome! Before you sell all your belongings, tell your boss you’ve had enough and book a one-way ticket to Europe or Asia, you should test the digital nomad lifestyle for a bit.

Do you have any chance to do your job remotely for a few weeks? If so, grab your laptop and try to work from somewhere else. 

If you can’t do your current job online, you can also try to get some freelancing gigs you can do after work or on the weekends.

Yes, you won’t have much leisure time. But if you really want to become a digital nomad you should be prepared to work long hours.

3. Think About Passive Source Of Income 

When you don't have a regular source of income you can always try out various jobs, both physically or virtually. 

These passive sources of income will help you a lot on the way as you will be making money on the go. 

These are not easy to start and very hard to maintain. You can try out : 

• freelance.
• blogging.
• Copywriting and writing.
• Social media manager.
• Affiliate marketing.
• Translation.
• Illustrating and graphic design.
• Programming.
• Virtual assistant.

And these are just a few to start, you can also do much more than these. you can teach at a local school, or work at a restaurant ( as a temp job ).  

- Preparing For Your New Life

I have already explained in detail what you need to do to say goodbye to your old life and gave you a checklist about the preparations you need to make. So here is a summary of the most important steps to take:

1. Save enough money: Especially, in the beginning, it might take a while to find clients or to get your business running. Make sure you have enough savings to keep you alive for at least a few months.

2. End all contracts: If you can’t/don’t want to do your current job remotely, give your boss notice early enough. Also end any kinds of subscriptions you may have (gym membership, newspaper, internet plan etc.).

3. Figure out your housing situation: If you are renting, make sure to hand in your notice in time. If you own a property, do you want to sell it or rent it out?.

4. Take care of your possessions: The start of a digital nomad life is a great opportunity to get rid of everything you don’t need anymore. Furniture, electronics, clothing… Anything you don’t want to bring with you and won’t miss in the future: Sell it! If there are things you want to keep, find a storage room for it.

5. passport/visa/health insurance: Do you have a valid passport with enough empty pages? Do you need to organize a visa before you arrive at your first destination? How about necessary vaccinations and health care insurance that covers you abroad?

6. Ensure access to your money: Get a bank account and credit cards, with which you can access your money from all over the world. Choose a bank that doesn’t charge you crazy fees for foreign currency withdrawals.

7. Book a flight/accommodation: Book the flight to your first destination. Check if that country requires you to have a return ticket. I recommend booking only the first few nights ahead. It’s usually easier and cheaper to find nice places to stay once you are there. You could use Booking.com or Airbnb, which are my personal favourites.

- Build Your Own Community

Maybe you still feel a bit insecure and that’s completely normal. Fortunately, you are not alone. 

There are many communities for digital nomads out there where you can learn more about how to become a digital nomad, get help, read stories of other nomads or simply connect with like-minded people.

You can always have a youtube channel or a blog or even website to share your stories and listen to others, this helps me a lot to see the people in the same life as me and it is truly an inspiration to listen to them. 

There aren’t only local options to connect with other nomads. You also have a wide range of online alternatives to meet like-minded people. Again, Facebook groups bring together many (aspiring) digital nomads are a great way to get more information.

- Reality Check

If you really want to succeed at being a digital nomad and truly being able to roam the planet and go wherever the wind might take you, you need passive income. 

So in order to truly embrace that wanderlust within you, travel the world and live as a digital nomad, you need to ensure you can get by in the case that you can’t find work or can’t seem to produce an income for whatever reason.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You don’t need a passive income to become a digital nomad. 

That’s true. You don’t. 

You could head to a city like Chiang Mai and simply live on the cheap, partaking in jobs in the digital gig economy, writing articles, doing graphic design, developing code, or, even teaching English to the locals.

The digital nomad lifestyle is definitely not the right thing for everyone.

But if you are aware of the downsides of this unconventional life, if you know how much work is involved and that you need to be realistic with your expectations and you are still convinced that this is your dream, go for it! Become a digital nomad.

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Links -

Do you have what it takes to become a digital nomad? click here.
Email: forevernomads7@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/subham_s_tripathy/

My First Solo Trip: https://bit.ly/2XqBlrv

Who Is A Digital Nomad: https://bit.ly/2Xxmw6x