A digital nomad is someone who sustains themselves with an IT-related job that can be performed virtually anywhere as long as they have a laptop computer or even a tablet.

Digital nomads enjoy a free lifestyle where they can travel to virtually anywhere in the world while earning a living, and all it really takes is a freelance career and the will to travel.

However, becoming a digital nomad isn’t easy and still takes some consideration, especially if you’re relatively new to the idea of becoming one.

It’s not just a case of flying wherever you want and working out of hotel rooms, and there’s quite a lot of responsibility involved to make it a successful lifestyle that works for you. So in this article, we’re going to talk about how you can sustain a digital nomad lifestyle.

Make sure you’re always planning ahead when it comes to destinations

Between planning your flights and booking your stays at one of these apartments in amsterdam, hostels in Skopje, guest houses in Guatemala City, or other accommodation elsewhere, it’s vital that you always stay several steps ahead when planning your visits to different destinations. This will save you a lot of time when you land in a new city and you can get a better understanding of the accommodation and workspace options available in the areas you plan to travel to.

Always have a backup plan in mind in case something happens

Whether it’s a broken laptop or a bad WiFi connection, it’s essential that you establish some kind of backup plan in the event that something happens that renders you unable to work.

These types of situations are generally experienced through trial and error, but the goal is to always have some kind of backup plan for each potential failure point. For instance, if you're worried about dealing with unreliable internet at home, then having access to a shared office space you can rent can be a great solution to ensure you have a reliable workspace available, even if your usual setup isn't working out.

Take care of your financial obligations so they don’t weigh you down

There are several financial obligations to take care of as a freelancer, such as doing your own taxes and submitting them in your home country. You also need to figure out how to set up foreign currency accounts should you need to move money from one currency to another.

While digital nomads typically use automatic currency conversion tools, you might occasionally participate in work locally that rewards you with local currency. In this case, you may need to rely on currency conversion.

Don’t try to become a digital nomad without first becoming a disciplined freelancer

A lot of people want to jump into the digital nomad lifestyle by getting a freelance job then instantly booking a flight. However, this is a bad approach as becoming a freelancer in itself requires that you’re disciplined and hardworking.

If you travel to too many exotic destinations, then you’ll find yourself distracted and unable to complete your work to sustain yourself. This is why we suggest getting used to the life of a freelancer before you decide to travel and work at the same time.