Being a Lifestyle Entrepreneur Without Being a Digital Nomad – Freedom & Creature Comforts

  ‘Digital nomad’ is the incredibly cool-sounding name for someone who is self-employed and who works online, and who uses these facts in order to live a life of constant travel and adventure. Basically they earn money from a blog, from a web design company, from internet marketing or all of the above, and then set off with their laptop to travel the world while working out of cafes using their WiFi connections whenever they get the chance. They learn how to live cheaply (staying in Hostels and sofas) and to work efficiently (using Four Hour Workweek style tips), and as a result they can keep up this amazing lifestyle of incredible sights, new people and boundless adventure for as long as they like.

This is a lifestyle that is often sold on internet marketing blogs as ‘the dream’, but in reality it can be more of a nightmare. While many of us like the idea of being completely free, the reality of washing your clothes in the sea for months, of going weeks at a time without a nice cup of tea and of sleeping in moth-ridden beds can actually be quite far removed from the picture you might have in your head. Even the basic bits like working on a laptop on the beach aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be: screen glare, week internet connections, sandy keys and achy backs all quickly start to take away from the enjoyment.

And besides, most of us have things like friends, possessions, partners, family… all things that we actually quite like and don’t necessarily want to leave for years on end.

So what’s the solution?

How to be a Digital Nomad Without the Nomad Part

Another term that’s relevant to this discussion is ‘lifestyle entrepreneur’. Technically a digital nomad is a type of lifestyle entrepreneur, meaning that they’re someone who builds their business with the end goal of making their lifestyle better. In other words, you’re only interested in earning money insofar as it allows you to live your life more freely. Usually this means trying to generate passive income by selling an e-book or app that earns money while you sleep. You may be able to earn more money if you put more time in… but that’s besides the point.

But where it goes wrong is in what you do with that time. Travelling is one option yes, but it is often treated as the only option. Just because you’re freer now, does that necessarily mean you have to start gallivanting around the world? No it does not! You don’t have to design the lifestyle that is sold to you once you have the means – instead you can aim for one that actually more closely suits your own needs and desires.

Enjoying Your Freedom

This is the position I’m in right now. I’m someone who is fortunate enough to earn a living online through writing and apps, though I do still need to put in a good number of hours each day I can at least do that from wherever I like. I also have a fiancé though, and a really nice flat in London, and lots of friends, and a love of cups of tea and set workout times…

So in other words I want to enjoy my freedom without sacrificing my comfort. How do I do that? And how do I manage to not go bonkers while working from home? Here are some tips that other entrepreneurs in my position may find helpful, as well as those aspiring ‘wantrepreneurs’ who are considering making the change…

Working From Home Doesn’t Have to Mean Working From Home

‘Not travelling’ doesn’t have to mean working from my front room 9-5. Personally I prefer working in cafes of which there are plenty to choose from around London. I have a few local cafes I work from in Ealing where the staff now recognise me, and then on other occasions I will venture further afield and try a recommended coffee shop in central London, or perhaps a nice bar. My very favourite place to work of all is the British Library which offers great facilities for people like me, is free and has a great ‘vibe’.

Another thing I like to do is to visit friends and family in my spare time. Once a week I go into central London with my fiancé Hannah and will meet her for lunch when she gets her break. Sometimes I’ll visit my cousin at London Bridge – which is beautiful on a sunny day. Other times I will spend the day with someone who has the day off and they’ll sit and read with me while I type. Unlike most people I actually get to spend time with people I like during my working days.

Mini Holidays

Another way to take advantage of being a lifestyle entrepreneur without having to go full-nomad, is to take lots of smaller holidays instead of one big one. In the last year I’ve been to Belgium, Croatia, Dublin, Pisa and Madrid and have also done UK holidays to Bath and York. On the majority of those holidays I’ve worked some of the time to mitigate the cost, and working on the flights/trains means they actually pay for themselves (this is the great thing about providing a service rather than selling a product – you can convert time directly into profit).

I also do what I can to keep these trips cheap. Fortunately I’m very lucky to know a pilot who is now able to get me cheap flights, but by staying in hostels, visiting friends and flying with budget airlines you can keep things cheaper too. I actually spent £10 to get to Belgium because I took the coach! It took 10 hours… plenty of time to get lots of work done!

Experiences

Likewise you should also use some of your new spare time to get new experiences. In London I can visit museums completely free (which I don’t do enough), but wherever you are you can treat yourself to cheap/fun activities such as a head massage for £10, or a go on a Segway. I bought myself a remote controlled helicopter for barely anything the other day and that provided me with minutes of fun (before I crashed and broke it).

The Little Things

More important though is using the free time you now have to get the little things right. For instance because there’s no commute you can reward yourself with at least an hour of completely free time each day. That’s amazing. Most mornings I play Sonic for an hour, read a comic or watch a film. Likewise you can use this time to deal with the little things that otherwise make life worse: washing dishes every day for instance will prevent your kitchen becoming untidy, working out every morning means you can stay fit and healthy.

It takes discipline, but being a lifestyle entrepreneur means you can truly live the life you want – even if you aren’t making mega bucks (I certainly am not right now – I’ve been going through a big dry spell with clients and my app sales have slowed right down!). You just have to know what you want out of your life and then design your work to support that lifestyle. This is the first time in history that this kind of lifestyle is actually possible… so don’t waste it!