Five Steps Towards Becoming A Location Independent Digital Nomad
Ok… so I have been procrastinating writing my first blog post for months. My delete key is nearly worn out from all of the backspacing I have been doing attempting to figure out how to start writing this darn post!
I nearly gave up. But giving up is not who I am and it certainly is not an action step towards BEING AWESOME. So finally I am saying “ENOUGH ALREADY KILEY!!” Time to #WOMANUP and bust out this first of many blog posts. So here it goes…
What do I really want to write about? Currently I am passionate about my husband and I navigating our new digital nomad lifestyle. Digital nomad is a newer term you have probably started to hear more often online, it refers to an individual who travels the world and works from their computer. My husband Evan and I chose to start living a digital nomad, location independent lifestyle so that we could enjoy as much freedom as possible.
This lifestyle is not for the faint of heart.
It is not for someone who likes to sleep in their own comfy bed every night.
It is not for someone who likes to know exactly what they are doing tomorrow.
It is not the life for someone who enjoys a routine.
This life is for those who feel trapped when they are not able to travel often. It is the life for those who are self motivated and enjoy being their own boss. THIS IS THE LIFE for those who ENJOY FREEDOM.
This life will test you. You will learn so many new things about online tools and tips and tricks and money making schemes, and you will read and work and get lost on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. You will get discouraged… and you will feel like an imposter.
You will feel on top of the world and ready to take on a full list of clients. Then you will be ripping your hair out asking yourself why you ever thought you wanted this life. Wishing to have the days back when all you had to do was wake up early, make yourself presentable and drive yourself to work where you would be told what to do for 8 hours. But then you will remember all of the reasons why this new lifestyle is worth every bit of stress and hard work.
This freedom lifestyle is not easy, but it is worth it. Since Evan and I became location independent we have lived in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for 2 months and then spent a month in British Columbia, Canada and are currently spending time visiting family in Oregon. Our next stops are England, Ireland, Scotland, and Europe! (HECK YES! WE ARE EXCITED!)
How are we able to make this lifestyle a reality you ask? How are we able to afford to travel and not have a full time 9-5 job?
Well where there is a will there is a way! To achieve anything in life you first need to decide what exactly it is you are trying to achieve and then decide that failure is not an option. Above all stay positive and persistent! DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR GOAL!
Once you know what your goal is write it down! I stumbled across this piece of advice on the internet and have found it really is important. Write down your goal and then write down action steps that you can take within the next month to put you closer to achieving your goal. We have found the Asana app to be very helpful with keeping track of your goals and action steps. We are not currently affilated with Asana, just giving you a #FREETIP to help you organize your goals and set yourself up for success.
Once you organize your goals and action steps it is time to visualize your success and believe in yourself. Know in your heart that without a doubt you are #AWESOME and you will not let anything keep you from realizing your potential.
Now… I am going to tell you that this part is one of the hardest and we still struggle with it. There are many times when you will want to say “F*** it” and turn on Netflix and chill. And sometimes Netflix will probably win…but if you are really and truly committed to yourself and failure is not an option for you then you will always remember your “why” and you will pick yourself up off the couch and get back to being awesome.
But how do I make money online? What skills do I have that will allow me to pay my bills from anywhere in the world? “Give me something REAL to get started with Kiley!”
Ok, ok… well the truth is this is different for everyone. There are so many skills that can be applied to online tasks. You have to determine what it is that you are good at and that you enjoy, which you can get paid for online. I will list a few of the top online job titles and tasks to get your brain started. I also have resources listed at the bottom of this post.
Do you have an eye for design? Are you a lightening fast typist? Are you extremely organized? (OCD like me anyone?) How are your customer service skills? Do you enjoy fixing things? Creating things?
If any of those sparked your interest then there is potential for you to hone and apply skills you already have to creating your own online biz. If none of those sound like you do not lose hope!
It is likely possible to apply any skills you have to some online task. Or maybe you like to take photos and videos and you love Instagram or other social media platforms? It is possible to make money from having a successful blog or a successful Instagram.
Some of the top online jobs include: web designer, branding strategist, virtual assistant, project manager, social media manager, transcriptionist, photographer, network marketing specialist, etc… You are thinking some of those sound hard and probably you would need a degree right? WRONG!
You can learn the skills needed to become any of these just by taking online courses or researching the web and self learning!
You don’t believe me.
I cross my heart it is the truth. If you are motivated and know how to use the internet and have the ability to learn then you can very quickly learn the skills you need to build an online business or refine the skills you already have and learn how they can make you money online.
When I first learned about the digital nomad lifestyle and the possibilities of working online I stumbled upon the Bucketlist Bombshells (www.bucketlistbombshells.com) and it was a game changer for me.
Cassie and Shay have created amazing online courses to help young women learn how to become successful online business owners while they travel the world and check off their bucket list. Their courses are geared towards millennial women and I highly recommend them to any women looking for a way into the freedom lifestyle.
Since I completed the 3 Bucketlist Bombshell Courses and learned how to use a ton of online platforms and programs, we have been able to pay our bills all with money made online.
We have a growing online business called Be Awesome Publishing (www.beawesomepublishing.com), as well as this growing blog and community here at Bucketlist Essentials. We design and create logos and branding elements for small business owners and online business clients. We also provide virtual assistance to a number of clients. It has been tough to stay motivated and keep moving forward with our business, but it is worth it. Each time a Monday morning comes around and I do not have to rush out the door to work for someone else I know I made the right choice.
Imagine being able to plan your day however you like! Imagine being able to have your office be anywhere in the world you choose! My office has been by the pool in Playa Del Carmen Mexico!
Imagine making your own hours, being your own boss! It is hard to be your own boss sometimes, but it’s a zillion times better than the alternative.
You are likely still skeptical. You are telling yourself that just because we were able to succeed doesn’t mean you have what it takes.
Listen…the truth is that you DO have what it takes. If you can use the computer and have read through this blog post then you should be able to achieve the same success we have or more. However, the truth is that most of you likely will not take action.
Success cannot be achieved if you do not take ACTION! So GET BUSY! I would say get up off your a** and get busy, but you don’t even actually need to get up so you have no excuse.
THE FIRST FIVE STEPS TOWARDS BECOMING A LOCATION INDEPENDENT DIGITAL NOMAD
- What is your goal?
- Write it down
- Decide failure is not an option
- Determine the action steps to begin moving towards your goal
- Use Asana to organize your goal/goals and action steps
Always focus on the action steps for this month and up to the next 90 days. You can look further ahead, but do not allow yourself to get overwhelmed focusing on where you need to be in 6 months or a year. You are much more likely to keep going and succeed if you stick with focusing on the action steps that can be completed within a month. Once those steps are completed then move to the next.
I have heard this many times before and perhaps you have to, but it seems to be useful:
Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time.
Success is achieved one action step at a time. As long as you keep focused and continue to complete action steps you will without a doubt keep moving forward and eventually achieve success.
If you have questions or would like to say hi please drop us a comment or send us a message via our contact form! We love to help any way we can. Thank you for reading our first blog post and we hope to see you sticking around and reading more in the future!
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