More people are working as digital nomads as the internet continues to provide platforms and resources that can advance such a lifestyle. Internet use allows most people to work without having to go to their offices and enables work from anywhere in the world. As such, if you have been thinking about living in Central America, you can do so freely as a digital nomad. Central America has several countries you can settle in, including Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Panama and even Colombia on the northern tip of South America. One of the perks of living there is the strong currency exchange rates. With this, you spend less monthly, than living abroad, but there are several other benefits.
Self-motivation
One of the main challenges of being employed by someone else is boredom and lack of motivation. Therefore, most people show up to work and struggle to be productive throughout the day. Have you ever experienced moments where you watched the clock, while at the same time felt drained as you wait for the time to go home? Being a digital nomad means you’re self-employed, even if you are doing work for someone else, which means it’s upon you to succeed or fail. The desire to succeed and the fear of failure is the motivation you need to keep working hard until you reap the benefits you desire.
If you choose to work on a niche, you’re passionate about, it will add to your motivation. When you do what you love, you will love waking up early each day to follow your dreams.
When working for someone else, you may not experience your full potential, but when you are self-employed, you drive yourself to overcome several challenges that come your way.
Cultural Diversity
Working abroad always comes with the opportunity to become more culturally diverse. When you become an expat in Central America, you get a chance to interact with the locals and learn more about their cultural practices as well as historical practices. Not having to stay in one spot makes it easier for you to mingle with other people with different beliefs, thereby allowing you to become more diverse while working as a digital nomad.
Flexibility
Working as a digital nomad and working by the project and not by the hour, means setting your working hours, so you don’t have to work from 9 to 5 unless you want to. If you prefer to work in the evenings, then you can do so without any problem. You also get to work for as long as you want or as little as you want. This is a great option if you have a second job or business or if you have kids that need your attention. You also get to choose the days you work. Whether you prefer to work during weekdays or during weekends, and as long as you churn those projects out, you will be free to do so.
More Learning Opportunities and Less Stress
As a digital nomad in Central America, you get to create your working environment. No longer do you have to worry about getting into fights with colleagues or being stressed about meeting deadlines. You can set up meetings virtually at your convenience and wear whatever clothes you want, even if it’s a pair of shorts, as you work from your kitchen table (which just happens to be on a beach). You’ll also be relieved from having to deal with traffic during rush hour and waking up early to prepare for work.
Challenges
Although being your boss is great, it is also one of the significant challenges you will face, working as a digital nomad. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re working from home, which means that you need a high level of discipline to get real work done. Being your boss can also be overwhelming, which means that you will have to find the perfect balance between the amount of time you dedicate to your work and other aspects of your life.
Working in Central America also comes with other barriers like language and beliefs. Even though you’ll be working from home, you will still interact with the locals, which means you can benefit from learning the local language. However, see “Expat Fear: What is keeping you from living abroad? Language barriers” to relieve your fear of language barriers.
The online business industry is continuing to become more competitive every day. As such, the level of competition you will experience as s digital nomad can be high, although as the 2020 Corona virus has proven, many jobs may become remote in the future, now that we know it is possible on a large scale.
You have to handle everything by yourself, and that can be overwhelming
Set your goals and objectives and do everything in your power to get it done. You may be tempted to give up, especially when your business doesn’t pick up as fast as you expected, but you have to focus on your goals. The good news is, you don’t have to move before making sure your remote work is viable. Start now, wherever you live. Once you feel confident in the work, live where you want.
Again, it’s also advisable to choose a niche you’re passionate about. There are several sectors you can venture into as a digital nomad, but if you choose one that you don’t love, you will most likely fail.
Try to keep your expenses as low as possible, especially during the first few months you work as a digital nomad. This will keep you from being overwhelmed by debt and teach you to manage your finances better. Although cheaper than living in the States, Europe or Canada, you can still spend as much money as you want in Central America. There are certainly many things to do. You may easily spend over $2000 per month or more, if you don’t plan your finances carefully.
Conclusion
Working abroad has many advantages, especially if you work as a digital nomad, but you must take the business seriously in the order to thrive. Central America, in particular, is a preferred destination for many expats. Use this site to find the best places to live.