Life As A Digital Nomad?
I follow quite a few bloggers, writers and YouTube influencers. My online network helps me uncover new ideas, find inspiration and learn about experiences that differ from my own. For example, a post by Robbie Abed, implored me to contemplate the life of a digital nomad and its viability as my next path. Robbie wrote, "Robbie's 2016: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, which highlights the journey he and his family embarked on when they moved to Thailand. Robbie's skill set allowed him to earn money without being tied to a corporation or a location.
His journey resonated with me for 4 reasons:
1. I'm more than my current role. One of the perks of working in an organization for years, is exposure to different roles and projects. Yes, I'm a digital professional who has launched several communication platforms. However, I also enjoyed and excelled in training/mentoring people, building top notch teams, presenting compelling stories to large audiences and managing publications. The ability to leverage more of my talents, via different opportunities, is an intriguing idea.
2. Being 100% beholden to one gig, carries risk. The days of employees joining an organization and staying until retirement, are numbered. Companies realize tenure has decreased, as employees use career jumps as a strategy to boost their salary and marketability. Although employee loyalty is praised, associates who log 10+ years at one firm, face risk. It can be difficult to offer a fresh perspective, when the work and the environment, remain the same. And when the organization changes, which will inevitably occur, if Employee A has not sought out opportunities to grow skills (i.e. education, freelance gigs etc.) they may not like where they land. What would you do if you were Employee A? What would I do? I need to have an answer to that question.
3. I crave intellectual stimulation. I'm not one for vices. But, I will quickly go into withdrawal if I'm not continuously seeking ideas to immerse myself in. Having new experiences, exploring locations outside the daily routine, and learning about other points of view, satisfy my curiosity. Working on a multitude of projects, in different environments, could not only satisfy my intellectual fix, but also stretch my skills.
4. I know I do not have a delusional sense of digital nomad life. Success as a digital nomad requires skill and luck. Finding the right work, for the right organization, at the right price, is not easy. And after you find it, you have to hustle to keep the money rolling in. It requires taking a calculated risk. And for a security minded person, such as myself, that is asking quite a bit. That being said, my need for security, has at times, clouded my judgement. Of course, I need to be strategic and realistic, but I can no longer afford to sacrifice growth for stability.
I'm still contemplating my next move. But, influencers, such as Robbie, are opening my mind to new possibilities.
What are your thoughts on being a Digital Nomad?