To this day, I still have to pinch myself when I think about my career. I started working as a full-time digital nomad almost 10 years ago, and it’s been nothing short of incredible. Whether you’re a remote worker or are thinking about taking that leap, these are the 5 truths about the remote working lifestyle I’ve found over the years.
The Truth About the Remote Working Lifestyle
Once you’ve lived that remote working lifestyle, it’s hard to think about life any other way. For me, remote work provides freedom, happiness, and fulfillment – here are the 5 truths to living that laptop life:
1. Your Schedule Becomes Much More Flexible
One thing about working remotely that’s invaluable to me is the fact that my time is used how and when I want. My clients generally give me deadlines with ample time, which allows me to plan my days however I want to; if I want to work at 7 am or 7 pm, I can!
Another bonus is that while you’re working, you’re free to take breaks whenever you want. I love being able to stop what I’m doing to go to the gym, head out to lunch, or get to an appointment. The flexibility is incredibly freeing.
Being able to create my own schedule keeps my stress levels down and gives me more time to do the things I love. That’s huge.
2. You’ll Save Quite a Bit of Time and Money
If there’s one thing we love just as much as time, it’s money – well, for me, anyway. Working remotely is amazing because you don’t have to commute anywhere if you don’t want to, you don’t have to spend money on meals as often if you don’t want to, and you save a ton of money on gas, depending on how you like to work.
I’ve traveled abroad quite a bit and lived in Thailand for two years. Living there is so affordable that I was able to watch my savings account grow pretty quickly. For example, I was eating amazing meals at the night markets for $2-$3 and paying $350 a month for a one-bedroom bungalow.
I’m always grateful that I feel in control of my finances and my time.
3. Your Productivity Will Skyrocket
After working remotely for just a short time, I realized that I was way more productive than I ever was working in a corporate office setting. I always feel excited to get to work (because I’m proud of what I do, and I enjoy it!), and I don’t feel like I’m dragging myself to a cubicle.
Feeling and being productive are major ego boosters, and they make it easy for you to work when you choose to. Not to mention, what client doesn’t love having a productive contractor?
The more productive you are, the more projects you can take on (if you need and wish to), and the better your portfolio looks. It’s a win-win.
4. You’ll Notice Doors Opening
A huge thing I learned since working remotely is that it’s allowed me to take on opportunities that were far more exciting and rewarding than my previous jobs. Since there are no real geographical or time constraints (depending on your line of business and how you choose to work), it’s possible to take on roles for clients worldwide.
Taking on projects with a wide variety of clients makes you more attractive to new customers – you never know where the next opportunity could come from. If you’re a writer like me, you never know what fun or interesting topic you’ll be writing about next. If you allow them to be, the possibilities are literally endless!
Again for me, this gives me a sense of pride that I never had when I was commuting to an unfulfilling job. Not many people get to say that about their careers.
5. The Work-Life Balance is Real
As I mentioned earlier, I was able to work in Thailand for two years. I also lived in Mexico for six months, in Vietnam for four months, and have taken vacations all over the world. All of this was possible because I’m able to do my job from anywhere. How cool is that?
The remote working lifestyle allows far more opportunities for fun things while getting the work done. I also love that I don’t have to worry about missing weddings or important family events. It’s so nice not to have to worry about getting annual leave and vacations approved by someone else!
Many people out there are sadly slaves to their office and have to stick to a certain workday schedule. When you work remotely, it’s simply not a concern. In my eyes, the work-life balance that’s possible as a digital nomad is unbeatable.
In Conclusion
If you can’t tell, I’m in love with working remotely. Ever since I was able to do so full-time, I’ve felt like my entire quality of life improved. That’s a really awesome thing to be able to say.
To my fellow online workers, I hope you agree with these truths. And for those who are thinking about dabbling, I hope you’re able to find these out for yourself someday very soon.