The Pros and Cons of Working from Anywhere
If you've been dreaming of working while traveling the world, it's time to give it a try.
If you’ve ever followed any location independent blog or Instagram account, you’ve seen those glorious photos of the freelancer happily working away while sitting by the Caribbean blue waters on a white sandy beach with an adult beverage in hand. #LifeIsGood 💕
What most people don’t realize is a freedom lifestyle business rarely ends up like the fairytale stories sold by these content creators.
Sure, we get to work from anywhere while playing by our own rules. And yes, there are some days when building a digital business by the beach is possible.
But most of the time you’re grinding it all out in your travel van or RV, in a motel, or by hanging out at coffee shops. #TheRealLife 💁
Don’t get me wrong.
It’s still an awesome way to live and work! I’d rather do that than spend hours in traffic going to a “real” job. It’s just that so many of the digital nomads sharing their lifestyle are really marketing a fantasy in exchange for your hard earned dollars.
So I won’t bullshit you. Here’s the truth about it all.
The Pros of Working from Anywhere
The best aspect of running a digital business is the ability to travel and see the world at your own pace. But there are other benefits like better mental wellness and the ability to discover more freedom in your daily life.
These are some of the biggest reasons people choose to become digital nomads.
You can move to new locations each day or stay in place for weeks.
You can experience different cultures, foods, drinks, and geography.
You can build your life around new adventures or interests.
You can spend more time doing what you love and work less.
You can meet people and build relationships no matter where you go.
You can enjoy the great outdoors and be more active physically.
As you can see these are some really good points for being location independent. It can certainly offer you an amazing future of happiness.
The Cons of Working from Anywhere
Of course anything in life has ups and downs. The worst aspect of becoming a digital entrepreneur is embracing the fear of the unknown. There will be times when things don’t work out as planned and you have to adapt.
Here are some of the most common negative aspects of working from the road.
You can’t get dependable WiFi everywhere, which will affect your work.
You can’t predict the flow of business, so it can be feast or famine.
You can’t budget every travel expense because rates change constantly.
You can’t trust there will always be hotels rooms or RV spots available.
You can’t play ALL the time AND expect to make a living.
You can’t expect everything to go the way you envisioned.
These problems will force you to be flexible with your daily life of working from the road. It can be mentally draining at times and stressful.
Is it all worth it in the end?
Overall, you're experience will depend on a variety of factors including how you travel, what your current financial situation is, where you will be staying, or your type of business.
But I can tell you we have enjoyed our life from the road.
Even though being a digital nomad and running online businesses has challenges, we wouldn’t have it any other way. We can’t imagine going back to a “normal life” in the foreseeable future.
Think about it like this.
No matter where you work, whether it's a traditional business or unconventional company, there will always be pros and cons for each.
Nothing is ever perfect. So why not explore the options?
The biggest question you have to answer is do you believe it will make you happier to work from anywhere. If so, you need to do it.
You will never know how it works out until you try. It’s always possible you will hate it or fail at it, but the pain of regret will always hurt more.
Take a leap of faith. Go for it.