How To Design Your Freedom Lifestyle
Three years ago, I quit my highly paid job in the USA without a plan B, sold everything and blew off to Mexico.
I wanted FREEDOM. So on November 8th 2014, I landed in Playa del Carmen, Mexico with my 2 suitcases to start a new chapter of my Life. I had no idea if that was the first stop of a one-year-around-the-world-trip or the beginning of something totally different…
And I wasn’t the only one! With more than 5 million visitors per year coming to this touristic city, I was in the front row observing a whole new world that was opening to me…
More and more people seek Freedom by traveling and many find it by embracing the digital nomad lifestyle. Like me, instead of just taking their two weeks of annual vacation, they decide to redesign their life and make travel a core pillar of it, thanks to the “laptop lifestyle” (aka working online).
Before you embrace the Freedom Lifestyle, there is an important question you need to ask yourself:
Are you a backpacker, a digital nomad or an online entrepreneur?
A backpacker is someone who travels the world with their backpack.
They do this, for recreational purposes and may have a job (or maybe a business) back home, although they really take a break when on vacation. Some people take a break in their career and go travelling by relying on their savings.
A digital nomad is someone who works online while travelling the world.
Some digital nomads are freelancers or work for an employer (with all the benefits that includes) in their home country and can work anywhere. For example, one of my friends is a graphic designer for a Dutch magazine and spent the winter in Mexico, roamed Western Europe and is now in Turkey!
An online entrepreneur is someone who has an online business.
They don’t necessarily travel the world (for example Mompreneurs work from their home) although in Playa del Carmen, 90% of the people I met who were online entrepreneurs did travel the world!
You need to question what category you best fit in because if you are an online entrepreneur, the frequency of your travels can significantly impact your business, especially if you’re just starting as an entrepreneur!
Some very well known travel and lifestyle bloggers have decided to significantly reduce their travel lifestyle and create a homebase in order to focus on growing their business for a while. As the administrator of a Facebook Group for the Digital Nomad in Playa del Carmen, I met lots of them. An Australian friend told me that staying 3 months in one spot was the best balance he found between keeping the adventure flame ignited and being efficient in his business. And I completely agree, especially as I help women to start their online businesses. They definitely need to gain business momentum first.
It seemed to me that Digital Nomads who were remote employees could travel much more often (every two weeks for example), but they still had to face the challenges of finding fast and reliable wifi as soon as they arrive somewhere to ensure they stay connected (which in some countries meant moving to another city!).
Of course, the online entrepreneur journey is the best training in personal growth you will ever get in Life, but it may be you consider being employed remotely more beneficial.
Even if you have kids, don’t think that you have to wait to embrace this Freedom Lifestyle! I have seen many digital nomad and online entrepreneurs’ families in Playa del Carmen. The kids were homeschooled or enrolled in a local school.
Designing your Freedom Lifestyle that allows you to travel more could become a reality. But first, make sure you get clear on what lifestyle you desire so you can choose your best solution!