What does your typical day at work look like? Maybe, you start the day with writing emails then work on the project, attend a meeting and have calls with the client— all within that stuffy office cubicle. Sitting in that closed-off cubicle for several hours a day and doing those monotonous tasks makes you feel as if you are a robot. And then there’s office politics and the continuous chatter of the colleagues which makes you wish if you could just runoff. Perhaps this is the reason why most of us feel that Monday blues as the weekend winds down.
According to a study by Guardian, almost half of British workers dread the week ahead on Sunday night. And a whopping seven in ten disclosed that they keep watching the clock until the end of the day. This traditional way of working is now changing. Today, Millennials are ditching the idea of the conventional 9-5 rat race and increasingly asking for one specific thing: flexibility. Generation Z prefers to roam freely around the world and seek the freedom to work from anywhere. And this gave rise to a new way of working — digital nomadism.
What is Digital Nomadism, Anyway?
Digital nomadism is the growing trend that allows people to leave the drudgery of cubicles and do their job remotely. Simply put, digital nomads are remote workers who don’t rely on one specific location to do their job. Instead, they use network connectivity and other technology to complete their tasks as they travel and explore new countries.
The term “Digital Nomad” is not new. According to Wikipedia, a man called Steve Roberts was already working as Digital Nomad around 1983. So, why did the concept become so popular recently? Well, this is because of the growing access to the internet and advanced technology such as cloud-based platforms.
If you’ve caught the travel bug and you want to set yourself free from the shackles of 9-5, this could be an exciting possibility. Imagine having lunch at the food market in Barcelona while the other day enjoying exotic beaches of Bali while sipping the ice-cold mojito. Sounds enticing, isn’t it? Digital nomads can work from anywhere around the globe as long as they have reliable Internet access. Through for some, digital nomadism may not be so much about perpetual travel. But it gives them the flexibility to work remotely.
How to Make Money as a Digital Nomad?
You may ask, freedom and flexibility is all fine but how does a digital nomad pay for such an enigmatic lifestyle? Well, as mentioned above, such professionals rely on remote working and tasks that can be handled from anywhere. There are several ways through which a digital nomad can make money. But here are 4 popular ways to make money as digital nomads.
- Freelancing
Freelancing is a contract based profession that enables you to work with multiple clients without committing to a single employer. This is quite popular among Millennials because working with different clients on different projects keeps things interesting. Also, it allows the freelancers to work wherever they want, whenever they want and charge accordingly. Digital nomad freelancers can choose any freelancing jobs such as writing, programming, designing, marketing, online tutoring, consultation and so on.
- Entrepreneurs
If fluctuating-income is not something you are looking for, you can think of starting your own online business and become digital nomad entrepreneurs. You can run most or all of your business from the internet without having a physical presence in a certain location. However, time and money resources will be required to get your online business off the ground.
- Employees
This may sound a little surprising, but, yes not all employees are required to be physically present at their workplace. Some companies allow their workers to work remotely. Unlike freelancers who select a company and pitch for their projects, a remote worker is a full or part-time employee of a company with a formal job title. They don’t work in their formal offices, but stay connected to one employer with a fixed contract for a longer period.
- Remote Teams
Remote Team can also be a good example of Digital Nomads. There are companies who execute most of their work remotely and thus hire a remote team to do the task. That means they have a group of people in a team who are working together to serve a common purpose but without being co-located. The remote team concept is increasingly becoming popular in organizations worldwide and more companies are inclining towards this growing trend.
Wrapping up
Digital nomads are increasing in numbers and according to many, it’s just the beginning. After all, who can resist a free lifestyle on the road? It’s been predicted that there will be around 1 billion digital nomads by the year 2035. If this nomadic lifestyle sounds appealing to you, becoming a digital nomad can be a rewarding way of living for you. With no commuting headache, no managers hanging over your shoulder and no 9-5 restrictions, digital nomadism no doubt makes an interesting venture to hop in. However, the road to becoming a digital nomad is not straight forward. Therefore you must have a plan in place, a little discipline, and a thirst for learning to have an exciting and fulfilling journey as a digital nomad.