It’s been a while since I became a digital nomad, and looking back on the 3 months of my preparation, I realized that I could break them into 3 steps that you can use to kick off pretty much any goal you have of your own:

Step 1 – Getting Clarity and Commitment (feelings, desires, and needs are acknowledged)

Here, you can go from doubting/fearing your dream to being clear about what you want and how to get there, and these are the tools I used to complete this step:

Writing: Put your thoughts, feelings, and expectations on paper to use them as the foundation of the next steps.

– Positive content (such as desires, insights, and dreams) is used as a guide for you to understand what you want.

– Negative content (such as fear, insecurities, low self-esteem) serves as feedback on what lacks research or refinement.

*Sometimes, the fear of failure is our best friend, as it points out our weaknesses in planning and resources. If not addressed, it can lead to catastrophic situations.

Online content: Gather information on the objective aspects such as costs, places to go, when to go, what to buy, etc.

Counting on other people’s experience and expertise makes all the planning much easier and cheaper.

Step 2 – Closure of the previous chapter

Create a checklist of what to do, solve, and leave behind before your trip.

It involves emotional and practical closure to whatever you have in the way, for example, cancellation of consumption bills, medical appointments, etc.

Step 3 – Beginning of the new chapter

Make all the practical arrangements required for the trip.

For example, if you’re planning a 3-month stay in the same country, it may include flight tickets, Airbnb, travel insurance, and some tour reservations.

This is when you complete the planning step with all the information and decisions you got from the previous steps.

Final Considerations

If you struggle with getting clarity of your desires, consider hiring a coach or psychologist for guidance. For more complex plans, adapt this framework as needed.