How to Work from Anywhere and Travel the World (A Digital Nomad Guide)
Updated: Sep 26
We all have that one friend on social media who is living in another country and having the time of their life. You watch their stories on your lunch break and your mind cannot stop racing on how to create that life for yourself. You are alive during the right era because becoming a digital nomad is soon to be the new normal. Read on to figure out how to make this happen for yourself!
Table of Contents:
1. What Does a Digital Nomad Do?
2. Why Should You Travel the World and Work from Anywhere?
3. How do you Build a Life with Financial, Time, and Location Freedom?
4. The Guide to Becoming a Digital Nomad in Your 20's
5. The Guide to Becoming a Digital Nomad if You're Over 30
6. What Are The Best Places to Visit as a Digital Nomad?
What Does a Digital Nomad Do?
Ah, the eternal question. The answer is much more simple than the majority of the population makes it out to be. A digital nomad simply works from anywhere in the world and has an amazing time. There are a variety of digital nomads just as there are a variety of jobs. Some are entrepreneurs, some have remote jobs, and some are just lucky. Becoming a digital nomad is more accessible to you than you may think. Let's dive deeper.
Why Should You Travel the World and Work from Anywhere?
The answer to this question is glaringly obvious to me but let me clarify. There is so much more to life than waking up, going to work, coming home, hitting the gym, having dinner, going to bed, and repeating that cycle for sixty years until you retire. They say you work to be able to enjoy your life when you retire. That belief is so far from the truth.
You should travel while you are young. Experience is the best education. You will learn more living in another country than you will from a four-year degree. I know that is a strong statement but it is true. There is so much more to life than the car you drive and the shoes on your feet. Working to achieve material possessions is a soul-sucking cycle that half of the world cannot escape. Instead, you should strive for financial, time, and location freedom. These are the keys to a happy and fulfilling life. Hence, the beginning of the digital nomad movement. So, let's talk about how they do it.
How Do You Build a Life with Financial, Time, and Location Freedom?
Creating financial, time, and location freedom is possible for any person IF you are dedicated enough. This is NOT for complacent or unmotivated people. If you find yourself to be complacent or unmotivated, do some work in that category first.
First let's go over a few concepts you should understand about financial, time, and location freedom. Many jobs may offer one to two of these freedoms but not all three. This is what we call "the golden handcuffs". You can have a job that pays you more than enough money, and you can work from wherever you want, BUT you have to be clocked in from 9-5 (and you may have no interest in the subject matter). This is called active income and this is what we are trying to avoid. To do this, you have to generate passive income.
What is passive income?
Passive income is money that you generate without exchanging your time for it.
Examples would be investments, affiliate marketing, digital products, blog writing,
e-commerce, etc.
The business models I will go over require a lot of work to run successfully. Do not be fooled by the word "passive". You will spend a lot of time getting the business off of the ground but after some time you will be able to outsource certain roles. This is when the "passive" part comes into play.
The route to financial, time, and location freedom will be different depending on what phase of life you are in and your experience. I will give a few options for each stage.
The Guide to Becoming a Digital Nomad in Your 20s:
If you are reading this and you are in your twenties or even in your teens, please listen very closely. You are definitely in the right spot. This is a huge opportunity for you to create a beautiful life for yourself. I recommend you do anything and everything in your power to make it happen! Let's go over a few options for you.
Because of the lack of experience you have at this age, you have to do a lot of self-educating. Lucky for you, there is this thing called the internet and you can learn how to do essentially anything for free. Youtube University will get you a long way. You should start to explore what you enjoy doing and what you are passionate about. You may know already or you might not have a clue in the world. If you have any direction at all, go in the direction of something that interests you. I say this because you need to be able to do it every day and not dread it or get bored with it. If you are at square one with no direction, that's alright. You will just have a bit more trial and error to go through.
When starting, you should pick a route that requires little to no upfront money. I will go over five business models you can start in your 20s with little to no upfront costs so you can begin your life of freedom!
Here are five ideas to start creating financial, time, and location freedom in your 20's:
All of these links lead to extremely informative Youtube channels for each niche where you can learn about the business model in depth.
The Guide to Becoming a Digital Nomad if You're Over 30:
If you are reading this and you are in your 30s, you have probably gone through the traditional route of going to college, getting a 9-5 job, and are now at the point where you can't take it anymore and you need to be free. Do not fear, it is not too late! You're still young and you can make it happen. You have an advantage due to your experience that may make this a bit easier.
By this point in your life, you know a little more about what you do and do not like to do. That is probably why you stumbled upon this article. This will make choosing a direction easier. There is still room for trial and error but it is best to choose a route that interests you so you can stick to it for a while.
Due to your experience, potential expertise, and potential capital, there are various business models you could succeed in.
Here are 10 ideas to start creating financial, time, and location freedom if you're over 30:
All of these links lead to extremely informative Youtube channels for each niche where you can learn about the business model in depth.
What Are The Best Places to Visit as a Digital Nomad?
To officially become a digital nomad, you need to start traveling! There are hotspots all around the world where digital nomads linger. These areas are great to travel to as they have stable wifi, co-working spaces, and like-minded people! I recommend you visit Nomad List to discover a town that is right for you and your travel desires. Bon voyage future digital nomad!