What exactly is location independence and who can live this lifestyle?
Location independence is often used synonymously with the term digital nomad. Both digital nomads and location-independent people can work from anywhere. However, the two do differ. The main difference is that a digital nomad generally is nomadic or wandering and does not have one singular place they call home. While a location-independent individual does not necessarily have to be nomadic, but they can live and work wherever they choose.
Location Independence is a state where the emphasis is on making your work mold to you and your lifestyle and not the other way around. Being location independent gives you the freedom to work from wherever you like and travel wherever you like at any given time. This allows for a healthier more balanced way of living.
While this lifestyle has a lot of positive attributes, such as complete freedom, it can be difficult to sustain long term if you do not possess certain character traits and skills.
“Work to live, do not live to work.”
Noel Gallagher
8 Characteristics of Someone Who is Location Independent:
Sedulousness
This character trait will help you to perseverethrough the tough times and lonely days as a location-independent worker. Sedulousness is a character trait that almost all successful entrepreneurs possess. Sedulousness is defined in Merriam Webster’s dictionary as, “involving or accomplished with careful perseverance.” Perhaps the most sedulous man in history, Thomas Edison, said it best, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” This quote keeps me going every time my idea did not work out how I imagined or a project did not go as planned.Since this lifestyle is far from what most people would consider “normal,” sedulousness is key to being location-independent.
Self-Motivation
We have all been there, that one morning you just do not want to get up and go to work but you have to because everyone will notice if you are not there. Now imagine that no one will notice and you could just lie in bed for a little while longer and get that extra hour of shut-eye. It takes a lot of self-motivation to get up when you could lie in bed, to keep working when you could just call it a day. As a location independent worker, you need to harness that internal drive of self-motivation to keep yourself on track throughout the days and weeks. I often use visual imagery to continue to keep myself motivated. If I do not want to work, I will close my eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine myself working and the benefits I will experience once my work is complete.
Discipline
Discipline and self-motivation often go hand in hand. If you can learn to stay disciplined while working from anywhere then you can probably master the rest of these skills. Someone who is disciplined can keep commitments to themselves and others, can stay focused through distractions, can keep a strict schedule, and does not let outside influences tempt them. I stay disciplined through the K.I.S.S. method, or “Keep it simple stupid.” If I make my goals too complex I find it hard to keep them, so I try not to overcomplicate them and this helps me to stay disciplined and on track.
Communication Skills
A location independent worker could be working with anyone from anywhere in the world and will need to have superior communication skills both in-person and online in order to collaborate on projects, be clear on deadlines and keep themselves and their teams on track. A person with good communication skills is a good listener, can control their own stress and emotions, can give clear direction, and respects others both personally and professionally.
Organization Skills
Organizational skills can be grouped into two types, outer and inner. Outer organizational skills are those that allow you to meet deadlines and work well with others. These include skills like project management, team management, meeting project deadlines, work-back timelines, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Two of our favorite platforms for work collaboration and project management are Microsoft Teams and Slack.
Inner organization skills are more personal to you. These include things like keeping a structured and systematic workstation, a diligent to-do list, and an organized calendar. Both types of organizational skills are important for any professional, but it is especially important to be internally organized as a location-independent worker. I am diligent about my to-do lists. I will write down bullet points of everything that I need to do for the week and based on urgency and time to complete I will organize and label all of them as daily, weekly, monthly, or 90-day tasks.
Grammatical skills
Since a lot of location independent workers are language teachers and entrepreneurs, great grammar skills are a must. Proof-reading your work and looking out for any spelling or grammar errors is crucial. Additionally, there are several helpful grammar tools on the internet, such as Grammarly or Hemmingway App, that can help you polish your work. Lastly, I always like to get a second set of eyes on any write-up or presentation. This type of collaboration not only helps me to catch spelling and grammar mistakes but also allows for a second opinion on my work.
Business Acumen
Business acumen is knowing how to conduct yourself and communicate with others in a professional business setting. Someone with high business acumen is acutely aware of their company, how their company operates, and how their company makes money. They will have a strong grasp of financial, marketing, and supply chain concepts. Developing strong business acumen is crucial to standing out within a company you work for or developing your own company.
Basic Computer Skills
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be a computer wiz to be location independent, but you should have the basic knowledge to write reports, lead virtual calls over Zoom and WebEx, and collaborate with others online. Of course, the more advanced your computer skills the easier working remotely will be. And for that reason, computer prowess is something I recommend continuing to develop over time no matter what your profession is.
If you read the above list, did a self-assessment, and feel that you do not possess any or most of the above traits, do not be discouraged. With enough dedication and commitment, you can work to build these traits over time.
“Make the most of yourself….for that is all there is of you.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The location-independent lifestyle is a conscious choice and often not the easiest or most convenient one at that. However, if you possess the above character traits and have always wanted to get out of the 9–5 rat race this lifestyle could be for you. With enough research, planning, and commitment to finding a location-independent job or career that will allow you to complete your work from anywhere, you could be well on your way to a location-independent life.
Find out more about us and our location independent lifestyle on our About Us page.