Want to become a digital nomad, but don’t know how to start? Here is how I decided enough was enough and how I’m taking the path less traveled (pun definitely intended):
I Was Tired of My Boring Ass Life!
I’m not necessarily saying I had to hit rock bottom (I didn’t). That phrase is an excuse anyways, per Gary Vaynerchuk: “It buys you more time to bullsh*t like you are right now.”
I’m saying I took a step back and looked at where my trajectory was headed. If I didn’t love where I was going, then why was I going there?
Let’s be honest: My Life Is Boring. It is.
This is where my highly-coveted economics degree comes into play. What is more important to me: Being comfortable or following my passion? I can’t have both. (And before you answer that yourself with what you know to be “the right answer,” look at your actions from the previous month, week, day. What is really important?)
Step outside of your comfort zone. It’s the only way to alter your path and become a digital nomad, which is what you actually want.
I Got Off My Ass!
Here’s the sad truth: No amount of YouTube, Medium, Instagram, online courses, life hacks or rags to riches stories is going to motivate me. External motivators are all hype sessions. Businesses like Scentsy or any insurance company (of which I know well) get you pumped up for all of 48 hours and then…what? You go back to your comfortable routine of nothing?
The only way I can answer the economical question with “My Passion” is to have drive within. The drive within is how I grind through a day when I can’t find the words to write an article, when I feel like sh*t and don’t want to work on my website or I’m tired as hell and barely have energy to get up, let alone learn how to gain followers.
I have to want it. I have to be addicted to what it is that I do. If I am addicted to what will result from the hard work — fame, money, expensive crap — then the hard work will never happen.
I will fail. Hard.
In order to get off your ass and work for your Utopian life, the day-to-day has to fuel you enough to spring you out of bed, get you jazzed that it’s a Monday, and have you say “No” to frivolous material things and wasting time.
I Slowed My Ass Down!
I want that Tom Ford Tuscan leather, but at this point in life, I’ve got to glorify the apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur from Goodwill.
Why do I have to be so damn successful so soon? Being viral is flash-in-the-pan fame that isn’t sustainable (see: Cash Me Outside Girl), and making a million dollars by age 25 is not a goal. My sister wanted to retire by the time she was 26.
Retire from WHAT? High school?
We Millennials as a generation have a chronic case of FOMO. We see these young people having the type of success we yearn for; and while we’re sitting here with our thumbs up our ass, they’re grinding, building empires and more content for us to gawk at.
Patience.
I’ll write that again.
PATIENCE.
If the game had a name, patience would be the first, middle, and last name. I have all of this time ahead of me. As I’ve said before, I need to be grateful for the time I had when I was a kid, but be selfish with the remaining time I have on Earth.
Work. Be internally motivated every day and be patient in the grand scheme of things.
I Give People a Butt-Load of Value!
People don’t owe me their attention. I have to earn attention.
How?
By giving, giving, giving.
Would you give me $1,000 if I told you it was so that I can give you secrets on how to become a digital nomad? Hell no! I sure wouldn’t.
Instead, I give you all that I’ve learned now, for free. I don’t get to charge until I become an expert at something. And gaining expert status is like every video game, musical instrument, and extreme sport: It takes time and practice.
This — this right here — is my practice.
I will make mistakes, I will write posts nobody gives a sh*t about, I will garner tons of negative comments. But it’s all part of the process. And I love the process of writing. The patience thing is tough for me, but the work I am more than okay with.
Give people endless value, more than they could ever repay you for. And then ask for money.
I Chose a Kickass Destination!
Cape Town, South Africa. My girlfriend Jess needs to go back here, so that is where we’re going in September.
I definitely wanted to work towards something, so having a location in mind for when I actually say “see-ya” to the United States is very beneficial to keeping my focus.
This is obviously the fun part of the process, but I can’t just sit here in my office daydreaming about the beaches and hikes and coffees and BBQs. I have to use my destination sparingly, like how we’re supposed to eat unhealthy fats and sugars sparingly (yeah right, Food Pyramid).
Besides, I have that internal motivation to keep me afloat while I spend the next three months in travel purgatory.
Have a dream destination? Don’t know or care where you go first? Choose a spot and book that flight! Things will get real fast.
This will be the toughest, most uncomfortable venture of my entire life. And you know what? It’s going to be so worth it!
My girlfriend and I feel the same way: Deciding to become badass digital nomads and booking our tickets for September 16th has made us so happy already. The closer we get to boarding that plane, the more zoned in I will become — and I’m already pretty on target.
If the above steps sound daunting or you just aren’t sure about being a digital nomad, here’s an optional pre-step:
Follow my ass!
I want to be your guide to beginning the rest of your life. If you follow me on Medium, you will get a written documentary of my journey; if you follow me at The Aesthetic Adventure (not Ass-thetic), you will be transported with us and will be able to see firsthand what it’s like to be a traveling entrepreneur.
Let’s go!
Follow the Journey!
Thanks for taking the time to read my story. If you found value in this, please hit the heart — it let’s me know my content is worth sharing.
My mission is to show you the reality of leaving everything behind and taking the plunge. I hope this will help you want to start your path to purpose!
