Hidden Advantages of Being a Digital Nomad
Besides the well known lifestyle advantages and cost of living reduction, here are some advantages of being a digital nomad that surprised me. I have been a digital nomad for six months, freelancing in architectural design and designing custom tiny homes.
Opportunity to Meticulously Select Your Social Circle
When you are in your hometown, maybe you meet up with some friends and grab a couple drinks. Then each of your friends invites someone else, and then you’re hanging out with 10 people. Sometimes you want to talk about real things, and it seems the conversation inevitably turns to gossip. You would never say, “I want to hang out with you, but not you.” Being abroad means intrinsically being alone, unless you really put the effort into making friends. Each meet up with an expat or fellow digital nomad is essentially an interview if you want to bring this person into your life. Have you ever heard the expression that you are the sum of the five people you associate with the most?
Opportunity to Take Inventory of Your Strengths and Weaknesses
In a stable job, your employer provides structure and order in your life. From showing up in the morning to selecting clients, you just need to do the work. If you meet a basic level of competency, you will not get fired. Companies are notorious for being compartmentalized, so you may not be cross trained on every aspect of the business. Freelancing abroad brings its own set of challenges, and you will quickly learn what you are good at and what you are weak at. For example, I idealized myself as a great salesperson and marketer, and once I was responsible for prospecting for work, I had to face the truth that I was terrible at this. The great thing about learning your weaknesses is you can delegate them out and double down on your strengths.
Flexibility to Change Your Life at a Moment’s Notice
If you have a stable job, have an apartment with furniture, and own a car, the logistics of making a life change are daunting. Even if you are fortunate to be in a month to month apartment lease, you have to give a minimum of 60 days notice to vacate. This means potentially a three to six month setback if you want to plan a move, which is huge considering the human life expectancy. I have had clients who own homes, and moving set their life back by over a year.
But if you live out of a suitcase in short term accommodation and you land a dream job offer, you can potentially move a week later. Your possessions weigh you down and cost you future opportunities. You are more receptive to opportunities when you are flexible, but when you are locked down, you talk yourself out of making big moves.
You See Opportunity From an Objective Perspective
You are always seeing your surroundings from foreign eyes. Some global trends have not caught on in global markets yet. There are labor arbitrage opportunities and new markets for your product or service. Because you see everything from a fresh foreign perspective, this gives you an edge over everyone who is too entrenched in their industry to see new opportunities. Even if I inevitably decide to go back to a stable life, I will always know what is out there and not just what is directly in front of me.
