This past year has seen a huge shift to those willing to work remotely for the foreseeable, if not permanent future – and amongst this category are those who have already made the shift and may do so in the future to the digital nomad lifestyle of travelling whilst working. With a growing number of people making the adjustment, sites such as https://digitalnomads.world/ offering tips for those looking to make the change as well as offering many guides to help those seeking help, but there are some essentials you’ll need if you’re looking to make the change.
Prep your electronics – You’ll be relying on your electronic devices the most during your travels – your phone and your laptop will become your new best friends. But that also means you’re going to have to make sure that these devices will remain operating as best as they can – this means finding a mobile device that is 5G ready for the change in mobile networking as well as additional features like expandable memory if needed for example. For the laptop that’s also ensuring that there’s no tech snags that could slow the device down in the near future or that you get any essential upgrades to something like storage through and SSD or more through external drives if necessary. Whilst you will be able to find this stuff during your travels, you may not be able to find it at the price point you’d like it or may not have the availability to have it ready for you when you need it through next day delivery, for example.
(Image from vacaydaze.com)
Make sure your visa is ready – The biggest change for digital nomads that has emerged over this past year has been the emergence of visas targeted directly to those looking to work remotely – countries such as Dubai for example have implemented these visas to help those looking to stay temporarily do so with ease, but there are restrictions and limits that are important to understand and have everything in place for your stay. Whilst it does seem like a no-brainer, it is something that can easily be missed and forgotten about whilst making sure that everything else is done.
Build a medium-term plan for moving forward – A key factor for those who have been successful when making the change for a location independent working lifestyle has certainly been within at least some levelling of planning – having some idea of where you want to go and what you want to do is key for success, so you don’t end up moving around aimlessly and find yourself spending outside of your means. Whilst a short-term plan addresses immediate issues, it may not offer as much flexibility, and whilst a long-term plan is more robust, small changes can have a big impact on those plans – aim for the middle with a solid medium-term plan, and you may find more success in your venture.