How much do you love traveling? Some people with the travel bug aren’t satisfied with taking a couple days off once a year. They could get the urge to go somewhere as often as every month, taking in new places and gaining new experiences. This used to be an impractical life decision. But thanks to the rise in remote work options, many more travelers are able to work while adventuring, so that they can support themselves without having to give up their passions. If this sounds like the perfect life for you, then you’ve come to the right blog post! Here are a few tips to continue working while traveling.
Know the difference between ‘traveling’ and ‘vacationing.’
If you travel with the mindset of going on a vacation, you’re not going to be productive. A vacation is all about taking time off of work to relax and recharge. If you see your travels as vacations, it’ll be hard to put yourself to work since your mind is set on taking a break. On the other hand, traveling focuses more on learning about the different cultures and destinations that you go to. It’s an educational experience, rather than a leisurely one.
This difference makes it much easier to work if you’re traveling rather than vacationing. It puts you in the right mindset, so that you don’t accidentally start slacking off on your work responsibilities.
Create an effective workstation.
You need an effective workstation if you’re working while traveling. When planning your workstation, you must ask yourself two questions. First, how easy is it to set up? And second, how will it help you with your work? Let’s break them down individually.
First, your workstation has to be easy to set up and put away. If you’re constantly on the go, you shouldn’t inconvenience yourself with an elaborate workstation. Not only would it take longer to set up, it would also be harder to lug around during your travels. With this in mind, try to keep your workstation as minimalistic as possible.
Secondly, your workstation should be able to help you in any situation. If you can, you should get a work laptop that’s separate from your personal one. A work laptop can be all you need to put you in a productive mindset. Pocket wifi can help you stay online no matter where you end up on your travels. Plug adapters, external batteries, and power banks can keep your laptop or tablet alive, even in a place without outlets. Keep these essentials in mind when you plan your portable workstation.
Reinforce your work-life balance.
If you’re working while traveling, setting a hard boundary between your work and your free time is more important than ever. If you’re still worrying about work responsibilities hours after you’ve clocked out, then you won’t be able to fully immerse yourself in your travels. And that makes the effort of even going to these new places much less worth it.
Take extra care into keeping a good work-life balance to really make the most out of your traveling. Once your work day is over, put aside all other work responsibilities until the next day. Also, make sure to communicate clearly to your coworkers that they will only be able to contact you within your working hours.
Remain in constant communication.
If your workplace allows you to continue working while traveling, that means they have placed an awful lot of trust in you. They trust you to keep focused and to get all of your tasks done, even if you’re not in the office or at home. This trust is a precious thing, so you have to make sure that you don’t break it in any way.
One way of ensuring this is to communicate with your coworkers. Make sure that your presence is noticeable, even if you’re not physically with them. If you’re going to be unavailable for whatever reason, communicate ahead of time. By constantly updating your coworkers on your status, they’ll be able to know what they can expect from you and when your tasks will be done.