How wonderful would it be to be able to do your work anywhere? To change locations, created your own schedule and travel around the world, while still maintaining your income and employment. Well, in today’s digital business world, that is no longer just a dream.

Since digitalization of the workplace is the main reason for the rise of gamification in this are, I will discuss issues focusing on the new digitalized world. In recent years there has been a rise of the digital nomad, “professionals who prefer a location-independent lifestyle that allows them to travel and work anywhere in the world” (Mohn, 2014). This has been made possible by the growing digitalization of the workplace.

These digital nomads are “are borderless, mostly self-employed remote workers who interact with cities in a way that’s entirely different from a tourist, but still doesn’t quite reach the status of resident. A relatively new phenomenon, there are no hard statistics on the prevalence of digital nomads or location independent workers. But thanks to the growing prevalence of freelance livelihoods, a global sharing economy and myriad of digital tools, the number of people who are able to live this life is growing quickly. And in a rapidly urbanising world, where a major city in Asia increasingly offers the same amenities as one in Europe, many people are reaching the realisation they don’t need to stay in one place.” (Spinks, 2015)

However desirable the digital nomad way of working seem, it doesn’t come without its challenges. In Spinks’s article the interviewee Bryce Adams says: “When you’re a digital nomad, you don’t actually have as much freedom as most people think you do. We have deadlines, we all have people relying on us and a mouth (or two) that needs to be fed. It’s nice to be able to work anywhere in the world but it’s not without it’s challenges.” It is important to acknowledge that this lifestyle doesn’t make you free of work or give your absolute freedom, but in 2014 Tanya Mohn wrote an interesting article in Forbes on How to Succeed at Becoming a Digital Nomad where she interviewed a person living this kind of digital nomad lifestyle and the biggest challenge seemed to be a consistent high-speed Internet connection.

In 2015 Anna Hart wrote in Telegaph “that more and more jobs are becoming portable, possible to do at a digital distance – not just web designers and freelance writers but fashion designers, photographers, models, marketers and even a remote-working GP.” (Hart, 2015) It is important to acknowledge that not all types of employees in every industry will be able to do this kind of work, but since more and more businesses are based online, learning a new profession is open for everyone. Getting the skills to work independently and digitally are becoming easier with services like Digital Nomad Academy which offers the education of skills to build your dream job.

I believe this is more fulfilling and mindful way of working. It has also a lot to do with your work philosophy. Do you work to life or life to work? Hart writes that “‘New Rich’ are business owners and freelancers who leverage their location independence to indulge in travel and adventure – which they prize more highly than material possessions” (Hart 2015). In my opinion this lifestyle suits employees who want to be independent, have new experiences and see the world, while pursuing their career in an area that they are passionate about.

Since most people might be quite envious of this digital nomad lifestyle, yet the question they should ask themselves is ‘what is stopping you?’.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2014/03/19/tips-for-becoming-a-successful-digital-nomad/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/11597145/Living-and-working-in-paradise-the-rise-of-the-digital-nomad.html

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jun/16/digital-nomads-travel-world-search-fast-wi-fi

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