I never once looked up how to become a digital nomad, but I lost my job during the pandemic, and my self-esteem suffered, which set me on this path. In retrospect, the job loss was a blessing in disguise because I am determined never to be in a job-dependency scenario again. The moment it happened, I left London for a while to lick my wounds.

Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, was my destination, and I immediately felt much better surrounded by gorgeous mountains, blue skies, and an unspoiled environment. I began to wonder if I might live and work from here. To become entirely self-sufficient, I required both time and money.

I chose to pursue an online and part-time job to live in nature and work on my side projects in my spare time.

As with all big decisions in life, the first step is to be honest about one’s strengths and weaknesses. I asked myself these questions, and you should do the same.

1. Can I work remotely?

I had to consider this question before embarking on this route. Although no specific qualification is required for remote jobs, you will need particular skills to work efficiently.

I’m I Self-motivated?

As a remote worker, you must enjoy your work and be self-motivated. This motivates you to show up every day. Remember, there is no one in charge of your every step.
Keeping your Responsibilities Organised
Treat your job as you would regular office employment by being organised in your tasks and how you present yourself.

Can I Separate my personal and professional life?

This means turning off Slack and your email when you’re not working—not linking my work email account to my phone.
I have a dedicated workspace in my home, and while I am at my desk, I am fully focused on work; when I get up at the end of the day, I am ready to relax and enjoy my free time. Relaxing at the end of the day is challenging, and I find that the best way to deal with this is to do my less critical work at the end of the day. That will be administrative work that doesn’t require much brain power or concentration.

Maintain a professional tone in your communication skills.

Telephone, video chat, and email communication with coworkers should be treated the same as in-person communication. Listening intently, allowing people to talk, removing distractions, and handling the meeting exactly as I would a face-to-face meeting.

Can I stand being alone the majority of the time?

People are social beings who need to interact with others. Are you an extrovert who enjoys being around others? Plan to spend enough time with friends and family outside work. As much as you can, use shared offices and cafes as well.

I’m an easily distracted introvert, so working from home is excellent because I never get tired of being alone and avoid distractions. But I still sometimes go to a beautiful cafe near me and enjoy talking to people, drinking coffee, and eating food that someone else cooked.

2. Find a job you can do remotely.

It’s crucial to figure out what job you can do remotely, and whilst It can be any job: full-time, part-time, or freelance, it is best if you stay close to the skills, experiences, and qualifications you have now. Also, figure out how to turn your existing interests into marketable products.

This is essential because you want a quick turnaround rather than spending years retraining or finding motivation for something you don’t care about.

I did not have to retrain to work remotely. All I had to do was update my CV and posted it on LinkedIn with specifications that I only want fully remote and part-time roles. I got a call within 48 hours and was offered a position.

If you want to find an excellent digital nomad job, check out my posts on The Best Remote Jobs Worldwide. They are guaranteed to find you a remote role you will love.

You will be surprised by what services are on sites like Fiverr, Upwork or PeoplePerHour. I counted about 240 services on Fiverr, and all are delivered online.

You are bound to find something that sparks your interest. So, the question for you is, can your experiences or passions be quickly adapted, so you become one of these service providers? Sites like Fiverr are also great for finding potential clients.

In addition to jobs that are usually thought of as being able to be done remotely, such as social media managers, web designers, or digital marketers, even regular jobs can be done from home. Think about jobs in support services like bookkeeping (if you like numbers), HR administration, and secretarial work.

3. Find the right tools to do your work.

Basic tools

Your job’s nature determines the tools you’ll need to work remotely. The essential items are a reliable internet connection, a laptop with a video conferencing camera, and a phone to communicate with co-workers.

Online Security tools

VPN

A VPN is a less evident technology required when accessing the internet from another country. It encrypts your connection and conceals your IP address from corporations, governments, and would-be hackers. Without a VPN, you may be unable to access certain websites. I discovered this the hard way while attempting to log into a UK bank. Several alarms went off.

Find out the best VPN for you here

4. Find a comfortable working space

You could work from home, in a co-work space like WeWork or a swanky cafe with wi-fi.

I spend 90% of my time working from home. For the other 10%, I go to a café nearby. I am not a big fan of co-work spaces because it means extra cost. But it might be essential to your work or your personality.

Find out how much it will cost and what you get for your money. Does this shared office space offer extra perks like printer access and reliable Wi-Fi? How do they set up their rooms? Do they let other people visit or not?

5. Create a schedule for yourself and stick to it.

Make good use of your time by sticking to your plan. Make time for everything necessary; for example, I have a few objectives that require concentration. I have a job, a side hustle, learning a new language and fitness goals. I can only progress if I am super disciplined.

Keeping to a schedule is a stress reducer and makes it easier for others to depend on you. Your employers know what they can expect from you on any given day or week, and so do family and friends.

Distractions to be mindful of

Distractions from within you.

When I find a task challenging, I tend to distract myself by following silly social media stories or binge watch Netflix series. To be a successful remote worker, you must be self-disciplined most of the time.

Distractions from friends and family.

Everyone in your social circle knows that you work from home. This gives them the impression that they can contact you whenever they choose, even in the middle of your workday; some may even decide to pay you an unannounced visit.

Do you recall my earlier suggestion that you need to exercise self-discipline? I know this will seem harsh, but you must also be strict with your loved ones. Show them how to with you while you’re at work.

“In life, you get what you tolerate, not what you deserve” Focus on what’s crucial to do your job well and then spend guilt-free time with friends and loved ones at the set time.

6. Keep your eyes on the money

Because my finances were in order, I could transition to part-time remote work. I had no debts and kept my spending to a minimum. I was on a “noodle budget”. This is critical if, for example, you want to reduce your work hours to make more time to pursue your ambitions. Also, if you have recently begun a new work, you may get paid less for some time. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to get your finances in good shape so you can handle anything that comes your way.

If you need help getting great with your money, read my blog, How Do You Start Managing Your Money.

Final thoughts

I want you to remember from this post that you can do this. Corporations and small business owners want to save money by not having to pay for an office. If you’re thinking, “Oh my God, that’s a scary thought,” you’re not alone. At first, I felt the same way, but now I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. Believe me when I say that living this way is fantastic. You can travel, meet new people, and still do meaningful work daily.

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