Digital Nomadism in a Fast-Paced World
What are Digital Nomads?
Digital nomadism, simply put, is a remote worker who switches to different environmental locations.
It is not a profession or a nomad, but a way of life; It is not subject to geographical restrictions. As long as there is an Internet connection, you can travel around the world with your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop. Combine work and travel to achieve a life and work model that is not limited by location. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe it as a "practitioner who works while traveling".
Specifically, the lifestyle may be: today's work place may be a coffee shop in the suburbs of New York, six months later, flying to a beach vacation home in Florida, and a few weeks later to a youth hostel in Chiang Mai, or a beach in the Mediterranean. The common space of the island. As long as you have a stable and fast Internet connection, you can work on your computer or mobile phone from almost anywhere in the world, whether in a coffee shop, a public library, a co-working office or at home, and realize your desire to travel around the world.
In the cool breeze on the beach, I work on my laptop and communicate with my mobile phone; after get off work, I just go out to the waves, how comfortable it is! Through traveling, you can visit places you have never been before, come into contact with different people, things, and things, appreciate different cultures, and get to know all kinds of people. It is so colorful.
Sounds dreamy and magical, right? In fact, this term was proposed as early as 1997 by the former CEO of Japan's Hitachi Corporation, Tsukio Makimoto, in his book "Digital Nomad", and some people have been practicing this lifestyle for many years.
Affected by the epidemic, digital nomadism has become more and more popular in recent years. Some countries have opened "Digital Nomad Visa" (Digital Nomad Visa) to encourage foreigners to visit and live in their territories. More and more people yearn for a life where they can travel while working and work while traveling without being restricted by location. In some digital nomad communities, you not only have the opportunity to meet new people and ask questions and interact, but you may also get job opportunities. Becoming a digital nomad is not about escaping life, but about not missing out on life.
If you love traveling and want to escape the 9-to-5 grind, digital nomadism opens up exciting possibilities. But don't have unrealistic imaginations. Instead, you should find an original intention for yourself that you can stick to, be honest with yourself, make preparations for all aspects, and find a balance point where you can enjoy traveling while working without losing efficiency.
Advantages and challenges of digital nomadism
Digital nomadism is not all glamorous, it also has its difficulties and challenges. All in all, the biggest benefit is to be in a different environment and expand your horizons; while being exposed to different cultures, you can break the limitations of inherent ideas, stimulate thinking and imagination, and bring different new perspectives. Perhaps only by leaving your comfort zone can you see your hidden self and get to know yourself again. Because you can get away from your original living environment and get rid of your original work, relationships, and other turbulent life.
The advantages of segmentation are as follows:
• Eliminate commuting time and be able to travel around the world and go wherever you want;
• Flexibly arrange work time, location and schedule;
• Be your own boss and have optimal autonomy;
• No longer disturbed by “office politics”;
• Learn new skills or hobbies to increase your competitiveness in the workplace and grow rapidly;
• Opportunities to lower living expenses depending on the city of residence;
• Build connections, make friends from all over the world, and experience different cultures;
• Have more opportunities to talk to yourself and experience life;
• In addition to broadening our horizons, we also get close to God’s creation, observe God’s actions in different places, and look for opportunities to preach the gospel.
Challenges of digital nomadism:
• Missing hometown, you may feel lonely at times and find it difficult to establish deep and long-lasting interpersonal relationships;
• Requires a high degree of spontaneity and self-discipline;
• Culture shock, changes in medical conditions, and reduced sense of security;
• Friendships are not deep enough, and it may not be easy to maintain a long-distance relationship;
• The test of time management, the working time may be longer than the traveling time;
• If you are a freelancer, your income will be unstable (especially in the early stage), which will bring financial pressure;
• If you continue to move to different places, you may feel tired, lose the sense of belonging, and may gradually lose the novelty of travel.
Digital nomads also need to have good self-discipline in order to work efficiently when faced with stunning scenery.
How to become a digital nomad
Here are a few things to consider when becoming a digital nomad.First, implement life subtraction.
In other words, get rid of unnecessary expenses and only spend on basic food, clothing, housing and transportation, sell unnecessary items, put necessities into storage, change houses, sell or rent houses, and pay off debts in order to focus on Work and travel. Most digital nomads advocate a minimalist life, and often need to travel between different cities, so they need to reduce the number of luggage. In terms of packing, the principle is that all money-making tools can be packed into a carry-on backpack. A minimalist life is easy to organize, convenient for movement, lightens the burden on the mind, and is not bound by material things.
Secondly, do a good job in financial planning.Sufficient funds are the key to a successful trip, so saving before travel is an important step. How much money do you need to prepare? It depends on the following questions -
Choose where to live; what is the local price level? Should you work remotely, work freelance, or start a business? What is your planned life and work direction? Travel more, or focus on work more? What other accounts need to be dealt with. In addition, make sure you have emergency reserves in case of emergencies during your trip. From my personal experience, I recommend setting aside at least six months of reserves. Have a solid grasp of personal finance and cash flow management, and live within your means.
After confirming that there is sufficient cash flow every month and saving a reserve fund, it is time to plan your digital nomad life. In many ways, the planning process is similar to that of a long-distance trip. You must know where your first destination is, how long it will take, and how to arrange food, accommodation, and transportation. Make financial plans and prepare important documents, visas, insurance, and health examination documents in advance.
In addition, medical insurance protection measures must be taken.Travel can bring great experiences, but not everything will go smoothly. It is inevitable to get sick in life, and when encountering emergencies and accidents, you need medical treatment. During travel, health should be the first priority, and insurance is an expense that digital nomads must not skip. It is recommended that you check with your original medical insurance when planning whether out-of-town medical treatment is covered, or if you need to purchase additional travel insurance.
Choose the right money-making tools and equipment.If you want to do your job well, you must first sharpen your tools. For digital nomads, the most important equipment is a laptop. It needs to be portable, so in addition to being lightweight, it also needs to be functional. Try to carry high-quality and durable equipment to avoid unnecessary troubles and reduced work efficiency during the trip. As a wise digital nomad, you will choose to invest your money in the right equipment to improve your efficiency and create greater profits in the future.
Finally, develop a solid money-making plan.What you need to ask yourself first is not "How to become a digital nomad?", but "What are you good at? What do you like to do? What do people need? What jobs or services can I provide to fund my lifestyle?" Do what you are good at with passion Being able to provide services or products online should be the long-term plan of digital nomads.
If you love traveling, prioritize experiences and intimacy over material comforts in life, and are tired of waiting for a vacation to see the world, it might be worth looking into how you can embrace remote work so that traveling becomes less of an escape and more of a lifestyle.
Every color of the sky we see during our travels is a dialogue between God and us.
The vision and mentality that digital nomads should have
For many people, the appeal of digital nomadism is the opportunity to travel and live in different parts of the world. With the right skills and a certain entrepreneurial spirit, you can maintain a steady income while working anywhere. However, as Christians, what is more important is that through the journey of digital nomadism, let us recognize God as Lord again and continue to look for opportunities to serve God and bless people.
No matter where you are, daily devotions are still a way to draw closer to God. In the constant changes of travel, learn to pray to God and surrender your anxieties; remind yourself that God is the Lord, so grace is sufficient; surrender completely, relax appropriately, and regain your strength as a digital nomad.
While traveling, you can also appreciate the vastness and beauty of the universe created by God. Living on this beautiful planet, although we intellectually know that God is the Creator of all things, we may be passing by in a mediocre way and not paying attention to the beautiful scenery. Why not spend more time, deliberately appreciate His creation, appreciate the beauty of creation, and then revere and praise this Almighty God.
For digital nomads, this kind of life can also teach them to accept things that don’t go well. Not every trip is safe and wonderful. My husband and I were on our way back to New York from Canada when we suddenly encountered heavy rain in the mountains. We couldn't see the road clearly and had to follow the weak headlights of the car in front of us. I also encountered tree branches when getting off the highway, and encountered a tornado while passing through a small town in the Midwest. Emergency situations can happen at any time.
Many years ago, I worked remotely with my husband and planned to travel to Tijuana on the US-Mexico border. On the way, my husband became acclimatized and was sent to the emergency center. Although San Diego is only a 35-minute drive from Tijuana, it is a "distant coast" to him. Before going out, he was thinking about work, but unexpected events broadened the boundaries of his heart. He entrusted everything to God and experienced a spiritual journey.
The journey of life is not an easy road. Sometimes it is smooth and sometimes bumpy. Every environment is an opportunity to trust God.
In addition, we must also deliberately create a spiritual and working environment with the presence of the Lord. If you want to become a happy digital nomad, you must first seek God’s will and presence. If you have a strong and courageous heart, you can find a suitable church everywhere. Home is where there is a church. Participating in the church and building a community that supports each other is also an important part of breaking through geographical restrictions and working while traveling.
Secondly, ask God to give you the ability to create a work environment and model that suits you. The main reason why it is difficult for most people to realize the digital nomadic life is that they are unwilling to leave their comfort zone and give up their existing life style and environment.
In addition, digital nomad work efficiency is extremely important. If you are not self-disciplined enough and are not good at time management, you will not be able to sustain such a life for a long time. An efficient person can achieve a balance between life and work, with a happy mood and a clear mind, and realize the 80/20 rule: through only 20% effective investment, 80% achieves 80% output.
Likewise, don’t let work pressure affect your good mood while traveling. There is a time for work and a time for leisure, which is a reminder for digital nomads.
Although I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, where is the end of the journey? Thank you for having the Lord with you, guiding you in the steps ahead.
Can you become a digital nomad?
To become a digital nomad, you need to leave your original comfortable place of residence and enter a long-term in-depth experience trip. Not everyone is suitable for digital nomadism. Remote working actually requires more effort and time to work. Before investing in digital nomadism, measure your starting point and make preparations, so that you can go on this road for a long time.
In addition to praying and asking God for guidance, you should also sincerely ask yourself the following questions:
What is the meaning of life? What is the life you truly desire? What makes you happy? Are you willing to leave your comfort zone? What are your professional background, knowledge and skills? What about passion and talent? What's the job and financial situation like? Can you face changes in the environment? How high is your tolerance for risk? Can you have an open heart and witness God in different places according to God’s leading?
Only by being honest with yourself can you make objective decisions. If you carefully think about the reasons for becoming a digital nomad, and receive the promised peace in prayer, and find that you can live a remote working life, and gain fun and a sense of accomplishment from contact with the unknown, maybe you are ready to embark on the nomadic journey of Digital Nomad!
Xu An (Annie), MBA, is a university finance lecturer and start-up consultant. She has worked in international financial institutions from customer service, product, marketing to business supervisor. She has more than 20 years of wealth management practical and teaching experience. Currently serving as a partner of Boston Angels and a gospel and community volunteer.