Work From Anywhere: The Age of the Digital Nomad

The term ‘work from home’ has always been a dream, never a reality—until 2020. That’s when the entire system of commuting to work and staying there from 9-5 got reversed. Billions of CEOs, employees, and managers alike are now making global decisions and running Fortune 500 companies from their living rooms.

Employee productivity is through the roof. In just a short window of time, remote work has conquered the unthinkable. Homes across America are virtual powerhouses of families pursuing careers, which are now more meaningful than ever since they can accomplish more. Productivity aside, employees are waking up every day with one realization: I miss going to work.

The pandemic makes it questionable to take a business trip, much less, a stroll to your local coffee shop. So now what are employees and CEOs across the world meant to do while corporate society and small businesses are in limbo? There’s only one solution to this massive shift workers are facing: Set yourself up to work from anywhere.

 

Step 1: Find a safe, consistent location to call your office.

 Tired of staring at your four walls? There are plenty of other home office settings out there waiting to be explored. Remember to prioritize your mental health while considering your community’s wellbeing. Maybe a family friend of yours has a cabin in the mountains, or an isolated beach resort that’s calling your name. Before booking, study up on the safety protocols each particular destination has in place.

Interested in which cities are remote-friendly for workers? Click here to get inspired.

Step 2: Create a remote-friendly workspace.

Working from somewhere other than the office can be challenging. One minute it’s the roar of construction—the next it’s your kids breaking into the pantry. Create boundaries so that you can get the job done. Some simple tips for creating the right environment to stay disciplined is investing in noise-canceling headphones, plugging yourself into a quiet area free of distractions, and taking regular breaks to maintain productivity. 

Step 3: Before your work week begins, troubleshoot.

Depending on your location, the WiFi connection might be unstable. With no IT department in sight, there will be technical situations you encounter alone. To ensure that your devices work properly, make sure your computer system is updated, test out your video connection the night before, and consider getting a WIFi hotspot on your phone as a backup option. When in doubt, your IT department should still be reachable via messenger or email.

Step 4: Over-communicate with your team when necessary.

One barrier of remote work is that verbal communication gets lost. There may be stakeholders or a client-facing member on your team who could be in meetings all day. Consider the various levels of communication between members of your team, and where they are positioned in your organization. Think about moments where you can be transparent in communicating progress, challenges, or milestones with your teammates.

When in doubt, lean on free communication tools like Slack, Hangouts, or Zoom.

Step 5: Keep a routine in mind.

Working on different time zones can be tricky, especially if your family is from overseas and you intend on working from that location. Plan for the work schedule that aligns the closest to that of your coworkers, and be sure to communicate a window of time when you will be reachable. Pro tip: Don’t forget to take a lunch or dinner break depending on your new working hours.

Step 6: Enjoy the perks of your remote work location. 

While you’re taking that lunch or dinner break, get outside and see the sights that your location has to offer—all while following Covid protocol, of course. There might be a local coffee shop with an open patio, or a hike that’s ideal for family outings. Just because you relocated to this destination to work doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Go. Reward yourself!

Six steps later and you can see the silver lining of remote work. Sure, it’s a different working style than most executives are used to, but with a little reorganization and planning—we can all adapt to this meaningful window of new possibilities.

Welcome to the age of remote working—the age of the digital nomad.

To discover more remote career options, visit our Jobs page.