FFN #20: Travelling and Working - How to Strike a Balance

🛩 Schedule Your Work Around Your Plans

Before we jet set off anywhere it’s a good idea to check what work is on your plate before and during your travel time. I always like to knock out as many tasks as I can before I head off and then the remainder of my work I will schedule into my itinerary. Start tracking how long it takes you to complete work tasks beforehand, this gives you an idea of how long certain projects take and allows you to pen in time to complete them around your travel. I love platforms like Toggl to track client projects. The next tip sounds full on but hear me out… Create a spreadsheet with the opening hours of restaurants, museums, tourist attractions or tours you’d like to go on, as well as layover and travel times. This is a great way to find pockets of time to get your work done without feeling like you’re missing out.

💁🏼‍♀️ Not all Workspaces are Created Equal

Just because we can work anywhere doesn’t mean we can be productive everywhere. No matter how much planning you put into when you’re going to work, it can all go out of the window pretty fast when you find yourself trying to work from a teeny tiny cafe table with the wheel of death popping up every two seconds. To combat this, once I touch down I love to scope out a few work spots. I work my best in places where I feel energized, and comfortable and motivates my brain to stay focused. Know what works best for you, whether that be a bustling cafe, a beautiful park or a quiet library. If in doubt try to search for a coworking space, they offer a stable work environment and reliable internet connection.

🧳 Pack Your Home Office

In addition to your swimsuits, you’ll need to pack a portable office. A few of my must-have office essentials are; a laptop and a protective case, a tablet and protective case, noise cancelling headphones, a foldable laptop stand, a personal hotspot or portable internet booster, a planner, a notebook and pens. I like to pack a backup device in case one device gets lost or falls into the pool 🙈. Don’t forget a Zoom-friendly shirt, you don’t want to be hopping onto a random meeting with your favorite client in your swimmers!

🏕 Find Balance

Personally, I live my life by my G-cal, especially on holidays. I like to block out the hours I will be exploring and my work hours as it’s easy to get so caught up in travel that you forget what day it is. Staying ahead of your deadlines, keeping track of any meetings and booking your travel around them is crucial for maintaining balance. Make sure you take into consideration the time difference, I like to use World Timer Buddy. At any new destination, I arrive in I love to let my clients and team members know what timezone I am in and roughly what hours I will be working so they know how they can reach me.

If you’ve got the time, energy and money to travel while working then start packing ladies!

🤓 Read our top tips for landing your next freelance gig.

🛫 Tips for finding balance with work while travelling.

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