We all have that friend who posts pictures from different countries and manages to work during their travels, don’t we? Let’s admit, once in a while each of us wants to leave their job and start traveling, but then we remember our job and responsibilities and sadly sigh.
According to The Conference Board, nearly the half of the US population isn’t satisfied with their jobs. The reason to this is spending the whole day in the office, wearing uncomfortable suits, getting stuck in traffic jams on the way to work and back. These factors sometimes cause stress and negatively impact productivity in the workspace.
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On the other hand, there are already 57.3 million people in the US who work as freelancers and the number is increasing day by day. More and more people choose location-independent jobs and there is a reason why.
Leading a location independent lifestyle implies being remote, working from the places you find most comfortable and dedicating the spare time to what you enjoy more. But what everyone loves the most is of course traveling.
If you think location independent lifestyle sounds like a dream then scroll down – we got some tips for you.
You can’t become a remote worker in one minute and go traveling the other. Getting used to remote working lifestyle takes time and it’s not fit for everyone. So don’t rush with quitting your job and seeking for remote work opportunities just yet and let’s go over some things you need to consider first:
Work & Family
Quitting your job is not a necessity. You can talk to your boss and look for possible remote alternatives if your physical presence in the office is not required. Start off by explaining the situation and if your arguments are reasonable your boss is more likely to consider your request.
However, keep in mind that you may be allowed to work remotely for certain hours and that can hinder your location independence.
Family is always important, especially when you’re about to make a life changing decision. If you opt for location independent lifestyle, you will have to discuss it with your family and come to terms if any objections arise.
It’s vital to consider your partner’s feelings if you’re married. Not every person is open to such drastic changes in the lifestyle. And truly the bottom line is that you will either be location independent with your family or go out into the foreign world alone.
Besides, keeping up with productive work in the presence of family can be tough, so it will be better to discuss your work requirements as well. You can’t always work from home in complete peace and quiet.
Productivity & Procrastination
Remote work may not look like a typical 9-to-5 job, but you will still have to get work done in time. Additionally, you’ll have to plan for future trips from time to time which can add up to your workload.
Procrastination and unproductive work can happen in location independent lifestyle as well, so quitting your regular job for that reason alone can result in disappointment.
Either way, you have to be prepared to work a full-time remote job in a different country even if it looks nothing like your current job. You can start with setting up a work schedule for your entire working week and get some productivity apps to help track your time and check the progress of your work.
Searching for remote jobs
You will have to search for a remote work that is suitable for your profession. There are many remote work websites that offer a variety of job in different industries like programming, design, photography, content writing and much more. If you want to try a job that’s in the field of your interests you can look for online paid courses.
The key trick here is not to rush. Start with small steps like doing a part-time freelance project along with your regular job. This will help you gain experience and understand if this sort of lifestyle will be more suitable for you in the long run. You can also create a portfolio and present it at job-boards.
Planning & Logistics
Location independent lifestyle has its boring technical and logistic issues as well. Better be safe than sorry, especially in a foreign country where you’re all alone.
- Choose an insurance company which will provide you with the best coverage. Insurance is the best way to deal with medical emergencies or travel emergencies like trip cancellations, delays or losing your luggage.
- Before you move to a different country, go through a full medical checkup (rather remember to do medical checkups frequently). This will help save more time and money and you will be more prepared if any health issues arise.
- Pack your luggage effectively. Start with the most valuable and first necessity items and don’t take too much stuff with you – it will make it difficult to travel frequently.
- Don’t forget to do your taxes. It’s time consuming but you will thank yourself later. Specifically check if your credit card is tax free. Many credit cards charge you when you make purchases or do ATM withdrawals. In a long run these fees may become a larger number, so better take a quality international card.
- Get a storage unit. Once all your personal property and other belongings are in a safe storage you can be certain nothing will happen while you’re away.
- Make connections with natives before you arrive there. There are a plenty of websites like couchsurfing, nomad list and other local Facebook groups with nomadic communities who are location independent. They’ll be happy to help, they were once a beginner in location independence, right?
- Find yourself a place to stay before you arriving to the destination. A good idea will be to go to hotels or hostels for the first days, before you’ll find a proper house for rent. You may also use local digital nomad communities to find people to colive with or receive recommendations.
- Look for local hubs, co-working spaces or coffeeshops where you’ll be able to work and enjoy a drink at the same time. You can even get Krisp to mute background noises in calls, so that you can participate in conference calls from anywhere regardless of how noisy it is.
Now it’s up to you to decide whether location independent lifestyle is for you, so take your time and follow what your heart wants the most!
