Being your own boss, travelling the world, and working from anywhere sound like a dream life. So why don’t more of us do it? And is it really everything it’s cracked up to be?
What is digital nomading?
A digital nomad works remotely and can travel freely because their job allows them to be location-independent. Often, these people are self-employed as freelancers. They don’t have a permanent office or home and work in coworking spaces, cafes, libraries, hotels, hostels or maybe even in their campervan or boat.
Is digital nomading for you?
You’ll probably know deep down whether the idea of digital nomading appeals to you. Whether you prefer to stay in one place or you easily get itchy feet. You needn’t let having a family and a house stop you. Many people do it with children, and you can rent your house out to cover your mortgage or get some extra income. Even if you have a job that won’t allow it, that can change, and digital nomad living costs can be lower, so you might not need to earn as much. It might even be worth asking your boss if working remotely could be an option. Ask yourself, what’s stopping you?
22 common freelance jobs to do as a digital nomad
Location independence lends itself to specific jobs. You couldn’t be a dog walker or a surgeon, for example. Most freelancers living the nomadic lifestyle just need a laptop for work and a decent WiFi connection. Of course, you also need the relevant skills and some clients. Many creative and business-to-business freelancers always work remotely, so the location shouldn’t matter. Common freelance jobs you can do from any place are…
- Subtitler and transcriber
- Proofreaders
- Editors
- Graphic designer
- Brand design
- Translator
- Copywriter
- Digital marketer
- Content creator
- Social media manager
- Travel writer
- Web designers
- Web developers
- Virtual assistant
- AI trainer
- Illustrator
- Business coach
- Community manager
- Journalist
- IT consultants
- Project manager
- PR specialist
The realities of digital nomading
Travelling is always full of highs and lows, and what makes it brilliant is that the highs almost always outweigh the lows by miles. You learn about the world and get a ton of life experience. But travelling isn’t typically done while simultaneously trying to hold down a steady income stream. Here are some things to consider…
Delivery of work
When you freelance, it’s all on you. The number one thing clients want is someone reliable. Digital nomading takes an extra level of organisation to hit deadlines because you must learn to expect the unexpected more often. Every time you move, you need to get over any tiredness or jet lag, get settled, find a suitable workplace and create some sort of routine. Also, remember that your time zone might keep changing and how that might fit with your clients.
Dedicated planning time, tools, and software (and maybe a virtual assistant) will become essential for your organisation and efficiency and your ability to handle your finances, business and life admin, and client work.
Work/life/travel balance
It can be hard to find a way to strike that balance between making the most of being in different places and running your freelance business effectively, let alone also taking into account your physical and mental wellbeing. Having the discipline to create a routine that works for you can be difficult when you're in it for freedom and flexibility.
Set sustainable work patterns from the very start with clear boundaries between work and personal time. Try to dedicate certain hours to work every day and use time-blocking and themed days to create structure and focus. Make time for exercise and socialising.
Loneliness
Freelancing can be isolating work even when you’re not moving around. You don’t have colleagues and might not speak to anyone else for days at work. You haven’t chosen a typical lifestyle, and you’re trying to forge your own path. Enjoying a certain amount of solidarity and being comfortable spending time with yourself is a big part of freelancing and travelling. Still, you need to make an effort to interact with others in a way that feels good for you and find a sense of community wherever you are. Virtual coworking sessions can be great to join but also make sure you get some IRL (in real life) contact with other humans on the daily. Find local meet-ups, go to a yoga class or hang out in the hostel bar. This is where you’re guaranteed to find the best tips for the rest of your trip too.
Income security
Savings, an emergency fund, and a retainer or regular client or two before you begin will take away a lot of anxiety. Ideally, don’t rely on one client and, if you can, have multiple income streams from offering a range of services like coaching or consultancy or products like courses. Review your costs, income and budgets regularly and maintain steady client enquiries and cash flow by consistently marketing yourself.
Marketing yourself
In theory, marketing yourself shouldn’t be much harder than if you weren’t digital nomading with so much of it done online these days. Building a network and relationships on LinkedIn with the right people is a great way to generate a steady stream of enquiries. Instead of trying to come up with grand marketing plans and strategies, get into a habit of dedicating the first 30 minutes of your work day, every day to marketing and doing the activity you think will make the most difference (the advice you probably don’t want to hear is that this activity is probably emailing and DMing people). Creating a regular marketing habit (kept up even when you’re busy) is the secret to breaking the freelance feast/famine cycle.
Your carbon footprint
If you’re taking a lot of flights, then your carbon footprint could be going through the roof. But many digital nomads live much more simply and in a much greener way than they might typically do at home. You can get buses and trains, and even if you’re driving in a campervan, you’re probably using way less energy overall than you would if you were running a household.
The main costs of a digital nomad lifestyle
Budgeting can be tricky when you’re moving around and unsure how much things cost in different places. Costs can be unpredictable and vary enormously depending on where you’re staying (country and level of luxury required). You absolutely need some savings to get started, plus an emergency fund.
- Travel costs - flights, trains/bus tickets, taxis, petrol
- Accommodation
- Visas and permits
- Travel insurance
- Food and drink
- Mobile phone and SIM cards
- Coworking membership
- Exercise classes or gym
- Clothes, toiletries and haircuts
- Laundry
- Sightseeing, trips and fun
- Your business costs - laptop, software, memberships, insurance, etc.
- Fixed expenses you still have at home - bills, storage, car, savings, etc.
- Emergency fund
The top 10 essential things for digital nomads to pack
- Passport (and visas)
- Insurance
- Laptop
- Portable charger
- SPF 50+
- Comfy all-terrain trainers
- Head torch
- Microfibre travel towel
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Swiss Army knife
The reality is that the digital nomad life requires some planning, self-awareness and discipline, but if you overthink it, you’ll likely never do it. You can start slowly by trying a few weeks or months away in an Airbnb or two. If you’re proactive, well-organised and determined to work on your business development and personal wellbeing, digital nomading will allow you to explore the world and yourself.