Is Location Independence for You?

Alicia
Mar 19, 2017
3 min read

Location independence: not being bound to any one location. You may know it as working from home, remote work, telecommuting, or being a Digital Nomad. The age of the internet has changed the world as we once knew it. We can connect to any information or person we want to in an instant. That is what makes being truly location independent possible.

With our current technology we can live and work anywhere we want. It’s not just for entrepreneurs either. Many companies, big and small, are recognizing the benefits of having remote workers: less overhead, more flexible business hours, uninterrupted work flow when employees can’t come into the office (sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, family emergencies, etc). Location independent employees often travel and companies are seeing the benefits of that too. Digital Nomads can represent a company or brand in several different countries and can gain a lot of insight of their markets on an international scale. That’s very valuable to any company that wants to grow.

Location independence a great option for parents, people with disabilities or recurring illnesses, people with non-traditional sleep cycles (I’m looking at you night owls), students, independent creatives and, of course, nomads.

Even though it’s a great option for a lot of people, it isn’t for everybody. To be successfully location independent you need to have a few specific qualities. You must:

Work well independently with minimal supervision.
Be very communicative. Answer emails, texts and phone calls in a timely manner.
Be very organized, efficient and self-motivated.
Be able to work with and meet deadlines
Be results oriented.
Be computer and technology literate.
Be comfortable with change and multitasking

Some people are more comfortable with more structure, routine, a clearer work/home separation, or are just more in-person teamwork oriented. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that but I’d think twice about remote work in that case.

There are a few downsides. Work/life separation can be much harder. If you thrive in a social work environment, remote work can be lonely. You may find that you’ve worn nothing but pjs or sweatpants for days at a time and is that a chip in your hair?

If you’ve decided that remote work is for you. The next step is figuring out what style of work you want to do. Do you want a full time, salaried position at a company? Do you want to work part-time on an hourly wage? Do you want to freelance? Do you want to start your own business?

Once you’ve narrowed down your preferences, it’s time to scour remote work job boards. (Check out Roaming Ronin’s Resource pages for job boards.)

If you are switching over to being location independent / work from home for the first time, I recommend trying something part time for at least a month before quitting your day job.

The great thing about location independence is that you get to design the life you want. Work on a schedule that works for you and your life, spend more time with your family, be able to go to those social events that work always got in the way of, travel the world!

Ultimately, if location independence appeals to you, there’s no better way to take control of your life.

Sincerely,