HOW TO: BE A DIGITAL NOMAD

Mastering the art of being a Digital Nomad takes time. When we decided to leave the rat race of the concrete jungle behind, we knew we would have some adjustments to make when working from home or anywhere in the world for that matter. While it may seem like common sense and relatively easy, let me tell you there's a little more to it. Here's how we've mastered becoming digital nomads and what motivates us every day to get the job done.

Wifi (duh)

Without wifi, we can't function. Anytime we search for flights, trains, hotels/Air Bnb's even restaurants (sometimes), we make sure they have reliable wifi. Not only are we travel bloggers but we run a Digital Media Agency - that means we have clients who expect their work to get done on time and properly. You'll always find us on our phones checking our emails and social medias or on our laptops doing some research, skyping with a client and writing a blog post or two. If you're not sure your means of transportation or accommodations provide WiFi, don't be afraid to give them a call. It's better to be safe than sorry!

Set Working Hours

Although our working hours are flexible these days, we still prefer to maintain some type of order for peace of mind. We tend to be early birds but it works to our benefit because we're the most productive in the morning. We meet our deadlines, Skype with our clients, answer emails, plan ahead and set goals all in the AM, that gives us the rest of the day to do as we please.

Stay Flexible

Being on the road as often as we are, there's all sorts of situations that change in a moments notice, which is why we find it important to stay flexible. Different time zones, delayed calls, busy clients, traffic and such are all part of this game and you have to be willing to work around it. If we aren't able to fit in all our work in the morning, we simply come back to it later that evening as long as it's done on time.

Plan Ahead

Like we just mentioned, being a digital nomad requires you to expect the unexpected. One way to feel better about this is to plan ahead as much as you can. For example, with our social media clients, we are able to pre-program certain platforms with our posts for the next couple of days if we know we are going to be travelling.

Make Time to Exercise

Travelling itself can get pretty exhausting but we've made it a habit to work out at least 4 times a week, even if its just for 45 minutes. Why? Well it keeps us healthy, it keeps our minds sharp, reduces our stress, increases confidence and makes us feel like we're on top of the world.

Work in Comfortable Areas

I'm a sucker for the beach, so if our hotel is by the beach and it provides wifi in that area, you already know where to find me. Besides that, I really prefer working by a big window in the morning with lots of sunlight, a big cup of coffee and my bathrobe.

Become Financially Aware and Responsible

When you work for yourself, all those receipts, expenses, savings, retirement plans, taxes and such need to be done by you or an accountant you trust. Having clients, we're responsible for charging them government taxes on all our services (Canada), keeping track of our expenses, paying our credit card bills, remembering to put money into our retirement plans every month, keeping a receipt book and all our invoices. At the end of each month, we ship what's needed to our accountant back in Canada who files our taxes for us. We highly suggest making an appointment with your bank to go over retirement and savings plans, international credit cards (so you don't lose money on currency exchanges) as well as finding an accountant you like and trust. Lastly, remember to make copies of EVERYTHING - you never know when you might need a second copy or even a third.

Back Yourself Up (Michael's Tip)

If you are a Digital Nomad, you live and die with your electronic devices, access to the internet and being able to communicate with your suppliers, contractors, clients and banks. Many things can happen when travelling, you can get your belongings stolen, broken, lost, water damaged, etc... which would leave you - quite honestly and bluntly - fucked! Have a portable external hard drive, we recommend this one along with this carry bag, so you can back up all your digital content (including tablets, laptops, mobile devices and pictures/videos) on a regular basis (we have ours setup for every three days). 2 TB of storage is more than enough and this lightweight option will make transporting it easy. 2 tips:

• Do not keep your backup with your laptop, keep it in a separate bag when travelling and in the safe when you are at a destination. Treat it like your original Passport.

• Be mindful about backup devices compatibility with android, pc and mac. Get one that fits with the tools you use regularly.

Don't Forget to Have Fun

When you're serious about your business, it's easy to get lost amongst the emails and numbers. As a digital nomad, you need to remember that you're travelling because you want to see the world. Don't forget why you started! Remember; work hard, play harder.

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