The rise of information technology and cloud computing effectively made our world one big playing ground where people are able to perform their work duties wherever they see fit, whenever they are allowed. So, it shouldn’t come off as too big of a surprise that as soon as these foundations were laid, a growing number of people made the world their preferred office.
Still, as appealing as the idea of digital nomads may sound at first glance, this employment model, like all others, comes with a certain set of challenges. Handling these obstacles and leveraging the benefits will effectively make or break the experience you will get from this arrangement.
Let us take a look then if we can help you out with these practical and easy-to-implement work travel strategies.
Have your schedule nailed down
A tight schedule is an anchor that will keep your business vessel firmly in place when the storms start hitting hard. For the sake of easily getting around, you should keep all of your plans, pending tasks, and deadlines stored and visually represented in a single platform, ideally some calendar app.
Also, be sure to cover not only your business tasks but also the days you will be moving, days off, and time you need to invest in other personal obligations since they can disrupt your workflow. Finally, be sure to use notifications and reminders as frequently as you can to root out any chance of a mistake.
Carefully pick your destinations
The ability to work from any location in the world doesn’t mean you should work from any location in the world. So, it’s pretty self-evident that some countries are inherently more open towards digital nomads than others. Your job will be to keep up with the latest trends and check which of the countries meet the following criteria:
- Nomad-friendly visas
- Casual and easy-to-navigate lifestyle
- Manageable bureaucracy
- Stable and high-speed internet
- Manageable cost of living
- Developed digital nomad community
At the moment, the list of destinations that meet these criteria includes the likes of Portugal, Vietnam, Thailand, and Austria.
Set up your temporary office
Yes, even though you can choose the country and the city where you will work when the time comes to roll up your sleeves, you will need to have a productive environment where you will be able to give your 100%.
So, when looking for apartments for rent, take into consideration factors like natural light, plenty of storage space, smart IoT upgrades, proper furniture pieces, good sound isolation, and other things that allow people to fully focus on their work. Put these mentions at the top of your priorities right there with area, rents, and other things that usually get higher priority.
Outsource portions of your workload
Outsourcing always comes with one set of benefits and setbacks. On the one hand, you will have to deal with increased expenses and higher financial pressure. On the other hand, choosing some non-vital portions of your tasks and assigning them to a third party gives you an immense level of flexibility and personal time leeway.
So, although you should avoid using this option to the point of abuse, it would be a good idea to create a safety outsourced network that will make sure your business keeps pushing forward even if you, at the moment, don’t have time to deal with all of its intricate processes.
Always keep your survival kit nearby
The life of a digital nomad is, by its very definition, life on the move where a lot of things can go awry at any given moment. You can offset both these challenges by simply packing lightly and always keeping your essential tools and resources nearby. So, the clothes can be bought when you come to the location where you are going to spend time.
Documents and other business resources should be digitalized and moved to the cloud where they can be accessed from any location. Essentially, all of your baggage should be boiled down to a laptop, phone, and a power bank you will always keep within reach.
Have your own personal time
Last but not least, we have to mention another critical tip for succeeding as a digital nomad to know when to log off. This may sound like something self-evident but remote workers, especially entrepreneurs are workaholics who, as time goes by, blur the lines between personal and business life.
And human batteries have very limited capacity – they can work only so long before shutting off and compromising both professional and private aspects of someone’s life. So, work from 9 to 5 like your life depends on it, but as soon as your shift is over, turn off your laptop and go out for an enjoyable latte.
We hope these couple of suggestions give you a general idea about the strategies you can use to travel faster and make your stay at some location more productive. The life of a digital nomad offers countless benefits and opportunities.
But, you will be able to enjoy these perks only as long as you know to offset some of the less talked about challenges. Follow the tips we gave you and you will start moving in the right direction here. And from that point on, every new step is a step forward.
⸻ Author Bio ⸻ ⸻
Brigitte Evans is a lifestyle blogger with a passion for design, culture, and health. She is a regular writer and contributor to numerous lifestyle blogs and online magazines. She also loves to travel and enjoy the great outdoors.
