Many people dream of it: working from somewhere of the world† Laptop on your lap, sipping a few cocktails and above all keep rubbing… against the bright sun of course. The road to the life of a Digital Nomad is a dream for many. Reality for only a few.
Dream life vs Reality
The reality is often a little less idyllic. Most digital nomads have to 'work the balls out of their pants' to live that 'dream'. Many digital nomads have a small budget and can't always afford those brightly colored cocktails. They often have trouble finding customers or structure. Realizing structure in your working day is what no one offers you. You have to do that yourself.
Despite the many struggles that many nomads experience, many would not want anything else. For the time being. Because the freedom you experience when you are 'in charge' over your life and can choose where you want to be, it is worth gold.
Work where you want, work when you want: that freedom of choice is pure freedom and priceless!
Discover what your mission is and learn how you can start a business with it that will bring you meaning and an income with which you can start living the life you want.
How do you become a Digital Nomad?
But how do you become such a freedom-believer? That often seems more difficult than it is. That's because you're not used to thinking that way. There is a good chance that your current work cannot be done 'from anywhere'. Then the entire thinking process often stops.
'It is not possible for me…' But don't let that put you off: it is possible. If you really want it.
Also read: World travel inspiration | Motivate yourself, change your mindset!
7 Steps to Digital Nomad
I'm going to give you a few steps that will help you become from a Digital Nomad and experiencing the life you desire.
- 1. Assessment
- 2. Awareness
- 3. Acceptance
- 4. Identification
- 5. Implementation
- 6. Evaluation
- 7. Repetition or upscaling
Step 1: Inventory
What is the current status of your life? What is going well, what is going less well? To take a good route, you need to determine where you are now. Map out what you earn now, what you need in terms of income, what you value in your life and what you would like to change. A good starting point is the beginning of a good journey.
Step 2: Awareness
You need to understand down to your fiber why you are where you are. Why you do what you do and why you are not yet living the life you would like to. No change is sustainable if you do not consciously go through the change. Experience every step consciously. Take the autopilot out of your life and start living consciously.
Step 3: Acceptance
Embrace where you are now and how you got there. And embrace the reason you're not where you want to be yet. Accept that you still have a (long) way to go before you reach the desired point in your life. Only if you accept that you still have a lot to do will you persevere. Only then will you do what you have to do. Think of it as realizing that you want to lose 15 kilos, but are happy with the kilo that has been lost every week.
If you do not accept that you still have 14 weeks to go after that first kilo, you have no chance. Then I'm sure you'll drop out and go round again: you'll end up where you left.
Step 4: Identification
Which person do you want to become? Who is that person who lives that traveling life? Identify with that person. Go act like him. If you keep doing what you're doing now, you'll get the results you have now. You don't want that. So change. At first consciously and 'staged'. Until it comes naturally and you are actually that other person.
Think of eating lettuce because your personal trainer says so. After a few months you order vegetables yourself in a restaurant; not because he says so, but because it makes you feel better and keeps your body in shape. Start exhibiting the behavior that will help you achieve your goal.
Step 5: Implementation
Action dear people. That is the only difference between a dream and a reality. The people who are digital nomads became that by taking action towards their goal. So make a good plan; you just have to follow that. Take action.
Start that business, rent that house, book those tickets† Do what it takes to start living your Dream. Start with small steps and goals. Have your big goal broken down into clear steps that you can implement in your daily life. Step by step towards your dream: becoming a Digital Nomad.
Also read: How do you save for a trip around the world? † Saving in 12 steps | Instruction manual
Step 6: Evaluation
Which steps were correct, which steps could or should have been done differently? Evaluate your plan after a few months. Not too early, but not too late either. If you evaluate too early, you will be impatient too quickly and stop too early. I always stick to 100 days. Everything I do gets 100 days. Only then is the evaluation.
Evaluate and learn. What will you sharpen and what will you continue with your plan? How did your journey to Nomadness go?
Step 7: Iteration or Upscaling
You have achieved your goal if you have followed the steps correctly. Undoubtedly you will get new goals and wishes. Then you can start all over again; step 1. And if you have started your own business as part of your plan, you can start scaling up. Earn more with the same number of hours or earn the same with fewer hours of work.
You can revise, rewrite or make new plans from your beautiful, self-chosen location.
"Any dream can become a reality, if you are willing to do what you have to do and let go of what you have to do to get that reality."
Liesbeth Uithol
My dream
One of my dreams was to write a book 'someday'. That book is now at the printer. I wrote it during our trip Europe in the camper.
Taking a long trip with the family: a dream for many. Reality for only a few.
Is that reality always a dream? How do you prepare for such a long journey? What should you think about? How do you ensure that your child escapes compulsory education? Not unimportant: how do you make sure you earn money while you travel?
Lots of questions to which I try to answer you in my own way. I traveled for 7 months with my boyfriend, teenage son and two dogs in a DHL truck converted into a camper through Europe.
I'm taking you on a journey. The journey of experiences, emotions, practicalities and insights with which you too can realize your dream. With a touch of sarcasm and self-mockery I highlight the sides of life and travel as I experience it and wish you the same.
My only goal is that you don't resign yourself to a dream. But that you will do everything to achieve it.
You can order my book via the link below. Enjoy reading.
An open, honest and raw book that on the one hand takes you into the travel adventures that Liesbeth made with her family and on the other hand offers tools to be able to work and travel location independently.
The book is easy to read, is practical and written with humor and shows that where there is a will there is a way. In other words, that the 'dream' of many people can really be realized if you commit.
A must have for every Digital Nomad to be!
Love, Lisbeth
