If you’re like most people, you have to work to make money. You don’t have a rich great uncle who left you his fortune, nor did you win the lottery to afford you the luxury of being able to not have to work anymore, therefore, the idea of traveling and doing some of your favorite things has to be planned around your work schedule or be planned around scheduled vacation times with your job… There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s the reality for more than half of every working American. But if you had the opportunity to travel the world and make money while doing it, would you take that opportunity?

Right now, you might say “Yes! I’d love that opportunity!” but when you really think about all that would be required, you now have some considerations to think about… and that’s perfectly normal. People have it in their minds that they want to live a certain lifestyle without putting any real thought into it.

According to biospace.com, most people are unhappy at work because they’re stressed out, they don’t have a good relationship with their managers and coworkers, and they don’t feel valued for the work they do. When you’re feeling like that every time you go to work, an opportunity to travel the world and make money while doing it seems like a dream come true! And it really is for most people. They see people on social media living digital nomad lifestyles and wish they had that life… they think it’s so far-fetched when the opportunity is really at their fingertips.

Traveling and Making Money Isn’t a Far-Fetched Reality

There have probably been several times where you’ve hopped on Facebook and Instagram and seen your friends sipping mimosas in Mexico or ziplining in Jamaica, all on a random Tuesday. You look at their videos and pictures with slight envy and wonder how they’re able to do that and you can’t. In your mind, they either have tons of vacation time built up or they’re rich… it’s as simple as that; those are the only reasons why they can be living like that.

Well, what if they’re not rich nor do they have a ton of vacation time built up? What’s another reasonable explanation for their international bliss? If you weren’t aware, there’s this thing called living a digital nomad lifestyle… You’re probably wondering what exactly is a digital nomad, right? Well, a digital nomad is a person who travels and works solely off utilizing the internet.

So what does that mean exactly? That means that they may not be sitting in an office working off their computer but they can be sitting on a beach working off the internet… which one sounds better to you? Now, it’s also important to know that just because you might be working on a beach, that doesn’t mean that your work ethic changes… you are literally still working hard, you’re just not in a cubicle or office environment.

If this lifestyle interests you in the slightest bit, you’re going to need to have an extreme amount of self-discipline and self-motivation. Why? Because you’re going to be working off of your own schedule… you get out what you put in, so if you work hard, that hard work is going to pay… If you work the bare minimum, you’re going to see that reflected in the money you earn… just always remember that. Take a look at some of the best jobs to work and earn a living as a digital nomad.

Start an Online Business

The ultimate way to live life as a digital nomad is to start your own online business. One of the best parts about starting your own business is that it’s all yours, meaning you’re the boss, you set your own hours, and you can run it how you want wherever you want, as long as you have access to the internet.

When most people think of starting an online business, they start to change their minds because they get overwhelmed but the reality of starting an online business is that it’s not as scary as it might seem. The hardest part might be deciding where you want to work for the day… on the beach or in the mountains!

Once you find a platform to build your website on, business can begin! Again, it’s important that you understand your role and your role is that you’re the manager, the owner, the marketer, and whatever other titles you need to keep your business in business! Some digital nomads even build and develop websites just so they can sell them! It’s almost like how artists create artwork just to sell it!

Work Remotely For a Company

Maybe you’re currently working for a company where you have to commute and go into the office for work every day but then you see an opportunity where you can work from home… when you work for a company but not physically going into an office building, that’s working remotely. It different from owning your own online business, of course, but it’s similar in the fact that you have the ability to travel the world and work from anywhere.

So pretty much, you’ll still have the same role as if you went into the office just not as much freedom. You’ll still have open lines of communication with your boss and you’re more than likely still going to have to work the same hours and maintain your usual workload.

Work as a Virtual Assistant

As a virtual assistant, your main job responsibility is going to be helping small business owners with daily tasks in a specific area to give them more time to focus on running their business. It’s not that business owners can’t do the work, it’s just that the tasks they would hire you for are tasks that are not as high of a priority as the actual operations of their business.

The great thing about being a virtual assistant is that literally, your job responsibilities are virtual, so that means no trips to the office, and that expectation is set from the very beginning. Communicating with your clients is done virtually or over the phone. Also, as a virtual assistant, you have the ability to take on as many clients as you want, you just have to make sure you don’t overload yourself too much. The best thing to do is to start out small and slowly build your clientele.

Are You Still Interested?

As you can see, there are so many perks and benefits to working as a digital nomad. Whether you want to be a virtual assistant or start an online business, your options are limitless! Just be sure to take all safety precautions, especially if it’s your first time traveling.

From the beach to the mountains, living life as a digital nomad definitely has its perks but it’s also very important to keep in mind that you will only get out of it what you put into it, so having a good work ethic is still very important and that’s the only way you’ll achieve success.