If you’ve decided to start your life as a digital nomad, no doubt you’ll be feeling excited for the possibilities that lie ahead. This is only natural, as this new type of lifestyle has already added so much adventure to so many people’s lives.
This is why, according to recent estimates from Public First, around 165,000 British citizens have adopted the digital nomad approach to work.
Of course, every big change brings big challenges. These challenges are often overlooked by new nomads, as their excitement overwhelms their sense of caution. The best approach is therfore to prepare for these possibilities ahead of time, and we want to explore a few of these today.
What Are the Biggest Challenges of Digital Nomad Life You Should Prepare For?
Secure Your Funding
Living as a digital nomad can often be cheaper than living at home, but that doesn’t mean it can be rushed into without financial preparation. For most people, this will involve calculating your monthly costs ahead of time and saving enough to support yourself for at least three months in advance to allow for emergencies. You’ll also want to have enough to purchase an emergency ticket back home, just in case.
If you’re making a more drastic move, then selling your home is an option many have chosen to build up financial backing. While this process can be slow through traditional means, more modern We Buy Any House-style systems can help speed up the process.
Offering guaranteed sales on any property, these boast far faster sales than traditional agents, which is helpful for anyone stuck during the sales process. Whether you choose this or traditional savings, the more you leave at home, the more expensive it can be to maintain these things when you go.
Know Your Business
Travelling as a digital nomad with the idea of starting a business can be fun to imagine, but it’s always not a realistic path you should follow impulsively.
Instead, digital nomads should already have experience in their area of expertise, whether that’s running their own business or working as an employee. You can still plan for new entrepreneurial advances while away, just don’t forget your existing work in the meantime.
Discipline and Experience
The final major hurdles to digital nomad life are less tangible. Firstly, we have discipline, or how well you can manage your business affairs while out and about in another country. This can require making your own timetable, staying away from distractions, and turning down exciting experiences because you have more serious responsibilities. Remember, this isn’t a holiday.
Experience comes in when looking at how you might respond to being away from home for long periods. How are you going to feel being separated from your home and culture, and how long will this feeling persist? This can be impossible to tell, so it’s best to start slow and consider strategies like those at Calm if you need additional help.
For anyone out there looking to become a digital nomad, our best advice is to start with a trial run, if possible. Spend a month or two overseas, see how the planning and work affect you, and build on this. With the right approach, you could find a new way of living that you never want to come home from.
