Imagine this; a quiet coffee shop, the smell of roasted coffee beans, smooth jazz beats roll over your head, and your laptop in front of you. The world falls into quiet murmurs as your fingers type away without a care in the world. You’re relaxed, happy, and focused. That’s the life you’ve always dreamt. Is it? Is it possible to leave your desk job, get paid handsomely, and be happy? Yep. It’s called digital nomadism, and it’s here to rock your world.
Enablerspace is a team of digital nomads. We’re a bunch of humans who work from home, coffee shops, cat cafes, co-working spaces, food courts. As long as there’s WiFi, the show goes on. We make it work, but will it work for you? Becoming a digital nomad isn’t horrible, but getting used to it is a challenge especially if you’ve adapted to the 9-to-5 life for many years.
What are the benefits of becoming a digital nomad?
Set Your Schedule
You no longer need to depend on someone else’s to set a schedule for you; you can steer it by the horns and make one yourself. Hate working in the morning? Become a working beast in the afternoon or at late at night when no one’s there to bother you. Or maybe you love digging in at the crack of dawn? Go for it. Who’s going to stop you? As long as you get the work done, all’s well!
However, there is a slight danger of becoming a digital nomad: laziness. First, you have to know how you work and optimize the workflow that works best for you. Don’t force yourself to commit to something you know you’ll hate later. Also, don’t go crazy and accept every single job. Be humble and know your limits.
Blooming Creativity
Don’t you hate it when your creative juices aren’t there because you’re stuck in a boring environment? According to studies and personal experience, working out of the office helps kindle creativity. Stuck at a dead end? Go for a stroll or hide in the bathroom; the latter makes ideas sprout, oddly enough. Don’t forget to bring along your headphones to get into the groove and drown out excess noise.
Do What You Love
Sitting in the comforts of your home or at your local cat cafe, you can do what you want. You can write, design, or plan your client’s next discount deal. The world is your oyster, and you can do it. Many digital nomads earn their keep by blogging about the things they love; shopping, traveling, eating–you name it! But, what if blogging isn’t your gig? Don’t sweat it; there are other job avenues to pursue. Maybe you can write an eBook that showcases your digital expertise. Not too keen on writing? You can become a voiceover expert, online class creator, tutor, social media expert, videographer, and much more.
Also, if you find yourself lost and going wayward, you can always join digital nomadic communities to establish relationships and of course, friendships.
Sounds better than corporate meetings, doesn’t it?
Build A Lasting Impression
You can build a reliable and trusty relationship with your clients by meeting them on-site or at coffee shops for a chill drill. By meeting them face to face, you can freely discuss project details without the middleman. Nothing gets lost in translation. Furthermore, upon a job well-done, clients will treasure you. They’ll remember, “Hey, Jeff did a fantastic coding job. I think I want to hire him again.”
Clients often work with a handful of freelancers and only a couple of them will stick out. Do a good job, over-deliver, and blow their expectations out of the water and you’ve found El Dorado!
However, remember also; if a client is giving you more trouble than the project’s worth, do your best. It’s not worth burning bridges; it may come back to haunt you. Consider the amount of trouble they’re giving you versus the amount they’re paying you; have the right to decline the job politely. There will always be more opportunities ahead. Don’t fret if you don’t land your ‘dream’ job.
Be Happy
You work to live, not live to work. By choosing your tasks, you can invest your time in creating something beautiful. The sky’s the limit. Should you ever find yourself frustrated, leave it, and come back tomorrow. You might be on a committed schedule, but your happiness comes first.
With the happiness index at an all-time low, digital nomadism is the way to go; you’re doing things that you love, rather than someone barking orders at you.
Types of Digital Nomad Jobs
- Freelance writing
- Graphic art & design
- Run a blog
- Affiliate marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Tutor
- Photography
- E-commerce
- Web development
- Web consultation
- Translation
- and more!
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Technically, you can work remotely anywhere in the world as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection. With this information in mind, don’t quit your full-time job yet! Try it out. For anyone unemployed, use this opportunity to build and create an impressive portfolio. Don’t be discouraged if jobs and clients are hard to come by; keep trying or start out small. Do small jobs and slowly climb the ladder to snatch better opportunities.