Who doesn’t imagine traveling the world, making money remotely, and crossing countries to visit off their bucket list? Digital Nomads get to do just that every month. They go from city to city, country to country, see amazing sights, and experience different cultures… all while working and making money remotely.
But it isn’t always that easy. Being a Digital Nomad requires a lot of discipline some days and tons of patience. Below are listed 10 skills that you must have in order to survive as a Digital Nomad. So make sure to review this list before you book your first flight.
Patience
Patience is the most important skill you need as a Digital Nomad. Between layovers, flight delays, flight cancellations, train rides, cab rides, and other travel-related issues, there’s a lot of time that you just have to sit and be patient. Sometimes you don’t have wifi either, so there’s a possibility of you being very bored.
Additionally, being in a whole other time zone from your clients means that response times may take longer. If you are someone who needs answers immediately, it won’t happen as your client may be sleeping while you’re working.
Discipline
Discipline is almost as important as patience. If you’re in a new country where there are many things to do and see, you’ll likely forget about work without a second thought. However, Digital Nomad makes their money by working online, so you definitely need to work.
By finding a coworking space, and being surrounded by other people that are also working, many Digital Nomads find some sort of structure, creating a bit of discipline. If you don’t have a coworking space option, make sure you can find somewhere where you can work distraction-free.
Socialization
While socialization isn’t a requirement to be a Digital Nomad, it definitely goes a long way when traveling. You’ll meet many different people, including others that are also Digital Nomads. They’ll want to connect, hear your story, know things about you, and if you hit it off, you may even gain a new friend.
When you’re solo traveling as a Digital Nomad, these relationships are key. If you travel with a group like WiFi Artists, you’ll also most likely create friendships among the people you are traveling with, another use for your socialization skills. Plus, being able to socialize with your clients outside of work is a great skill to have.
Money Management
Traveling can definitely be expensive. The more you manage your money, the further it will go. We suggest having a budget and monitoring it regularly, so you know exactly where your money is going, and how much you can afford to spend.
If you’re not managing your money properly, you can often feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and even scared. Create a spreadsheet, make a list in your notebook, create a chart in Notion, whatever feels best for you. Either way, just make sure to check in regularly with your tracking system.
Organization
There is so much organization that goes into traveling. From packing your bags and ensuring you have everything, to organizing your flight schedule, determining what activities you can do with the time you have, and even just managing clients, you’ll need to be very organized.
Traveling with WiFi Artists takes some of that pressure off you as they manage a lot of the organization, like accommodations, SIM cards, coworking spaces, and more. However, you’ll still have to organize your bags and travel, keep up with clients, and choose activities.
Communication
Some would argue that communication is the number one skill you need when becoming a digital nomad. Not only you are communicating with your clients, but you’re also communicating with airlines, friends, family, and more.
The best advice we can give you is to cut your communication down to as few platforms as possible. If your friends and family want to chat with you while you’re overseas, choose a platform that you can check daily for their messages, without missing something. Your clients should also be on one single platform. By cutting back the number of platforms, you’re going to be less likely to miss something important.
Persistence
Things are going to happen. Flights will be delayed or cancelled, activities will be cancelled, the weather will change, clients may cancel, and things can just be a bit messy. But you have to keep your head up and keep moving, keep adjusting to the events around you.
If you’re not a flexible or persistent person, it’s time to start practising those skills. Because even if any of the above happens, good things are coming. Your flight will be rescheduled and you’ll make it to your location. You’ll find a different activity to do. Another client will come your way. Good things are always coming.
Openness
Let’s be real, there are going to be activities, food, or other things that you find weird. But that’s the joy of traveling, that’s the reason we go to experience different cultures. No matter how many books or blogs you read about the culture, there will be surprises, and you have to be open to experiencing them. Try to see the world from a new perspective, and keep your mind open. Become a humble, non-judgemental person, and you’ll fit in just right.
One of the best parts of traveling with WiFi Artists is that you’ll never have to experience the new culture on your own. You’ll have others around you, also reflecting and looking at the world in a new light. It’s nice to have people around you that feel the same as you.
Tech Skills
Okay, getting into the technical skills you need!
You’ll need to use a computer on a regular basis, including many different applications. You’ll need to have some headphones, plus any other tools you need to do your job. You’ll have to troubleshoot your computer when it isn’t connecting to the wifi. You’ll have to be a pretty tech-savvy person.
The good news is that if you’re reading this, and you’re wanting to become a Digital Nomad, you probably already have the skills you need. If there’s something you don’t know, Google is going to be your best friend.
A Need to Learn
This last one is less of a skill and more of a need or want. If you are not a learning type of person, it may be hard for you to sit and learn about different cultures. However, if you’re a life-long learner, this is perfect for you.
Not only will you learn from the different cultures around you, but you will also be learning from other people you meet. If you’re traveling with WiFi Artists, you will learn from the group you are traveling with.
At the end of the day, you need to have more than just these skills to be a Digital Nomad; however, we think these are some of the most important.
Ready to travel with us? Check out our current program availability here and apply here. After applying, you will have a quick interview with one of our program leaders and you will be on your way to traveling in no time! We can’t wait to meet you.
Now go book your flight!
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