How to Connect Entrepreneurship and Your Dream of Location Independence To live the 'laptop lifestyle' in business, follow these 4 steps to give yourself the freedom to travel as you will.
By Gerard Adams
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Many people hold location independence as one of their highest aspirations -- the ability to work from anywhere, make money while you're traveling and do what you love outside of the confines of an office or much conventional structure.
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In brief, you're your boss, and the world is your oyster. When you're in charge of you, when you are your business and you've built it to the point that you're not required to be in a particular place (e.g., digital entrepreneurship), you'll have the freedom that many can only dream of.
I'm writing this from Bali, where I was flown in to speak, but I've also chosen to stick around for a while and take in the beautiful landscape, incredible people and peaceful energy, simply because I can. Although I'm physically based in New York, my work doesn't require me to be there. That means I can leave on a whim whenever I like. And I do, frequently.
The important thing is that I've also built a business that is actually enhanced by my travel. My followers and community are engaged by seeing the world as well, so like me, it keeps them excited and connected. It's a win-win situation. It can be for you, too.
First, you'll have to grow your business to a point where it's self-sustaining and produces enough income for plane tickets, or clients willing to fly you in for your expertise. This is far from impossible. There are many incredible places in the world where the flight will be your biggest cost. Once you get there, much of the rest of life is minimally priced.
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Here are some other aspects of location independence that are important, amazing, and yours if you want them:
Personal growth.
It's not just an imperative aspect of your life, but also of growing your business and success. Travel is one of the best ways to expand your perspectives on who you are, what you're capable of and where you want to go in life. Being exposed to other cultures, other traveling entrepreneurs and other ways of living can inspire you beyond limits.
You can work almost anywhere.
With the advent of the digitization, and of the internet, which dissolves space/time limitations, there are few things you cannot do from anywhere with the click of a button. Most importantly, you can keep people looped in to your journey through images and video, making them feel that they're traveling with you, building an allegiance to your brand and giving them some behind-the-scenes color.
I don't know of many instances where this approach has not worked to build a more devoted following with digital entrepreneurs who want to work with other people. You're no longer a slave to an office; and you're living the dream.
Changing things up inspires healthy habits and changes your life.
Sometimes we start to feel stuck or stagnant being in one place for too long. But, devoid of the same old surroundings and influences, we can finally jump into that meditation practice, or that morning routine. The more revitalized you are, the more you can show up and crush your aim of building an empire. You'll have more time to read (hello airplanes), write down inspired thoughts and bring your physical and mental health to the next level.
Content creation is much easier when you travel.
This occurs simply because you're doing things that many people might never experience. So, you want to document all: the food, the look of your surroundings, the adventures you go on, even what the laptop lifestyle is like. Show each moment. Once you're again sitting around trying to think of a good headline for a newsletter or the next slew of inspirational quotes for Instagram, it may be time to leave your comfort zone and get on the plane with your laptop. The change can take your content and your business to the next level.
I truly believe that the "laptop lifestyle" can be available to anyone. Yes, you'll have to grind out a little bit to get your foundation set but you'll be doing so in service of seeing the world. The best part is, you can be paid to do what you love and do it in a way that also allows you to be happier, healthier and more inspired.
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Who doesn't want to get paid to be the best version of themselves? So, go get on that plane.
