How to Work and Travel – 6 Tips to Set You Up for Success!
I work and travel fairly often. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve traveled two to three weekends each month, a majority of it for work. I added it up: I’ve spent 35 nights not sleeping in my own bed (and I reeeeaaaally like my bed). But, all is well because I love to travel too! After such a crazy start to the year, I figured it might help someone out there to share some tips for when you work and travel.
Maybe you have a trip coming up, or maybe you’re trying to figure out how to travel more. Either way, here are my tips to help make your travel/work life run a bit more smoothly (and make the most of that trip of yours!)
First, decide if you really want (or need) to work and travel.
Are you traveling on business or taking a vacation from work? If it’s a vacation, consider if you really need to work while you travel or not. Taking time off to disconnect can be incredibly restorative, and travel is the perfect way to do it.
If you’re tempted to work while traveling, here are a few things to ask yourself:
Can I work more efficiently leading up to my trip so I don’t have to work once I leave?
When I worked in an office full-time, I always planned new trips, even when I didn’t have vacation time. How’d I pull it off and keep management happy? I worked hard the weeks and days leading up to my trip to make sure I had nothing left to cover during my vacation. If I did leave any work behind, I made sure whoever was covering me had an easy list of what needed to be completed and the deadlines.
This worked because I built trust with my employer. They knew I would have it covered, so they approved whatever time off I requested! The same process applies if you’re working for yourself.
Will my travel squad be working during the trip?
From my experience, if you’re the only one working while on vacation, it’s SUPER HARD to work without missing out. Everyone else wants to go have fun, so you end up either getting left behind or saying, “Screw work, I’m going!” Something has to give. Either way, if you’ll be the only one working, just don’t.
How much time do I have to set aside strictly for work? Do I want to use that time for work or focus on enjoying my trip?
When working during vacation, I make it a point to prioritize enjoying the trip over work. In the past, I’d wake up an extra hour or two before everyone else to get my work out of the way. Sounds easy, but believe me, I would’ve much rather slept those extra two hours! Plus, do you really want to think about work first thing in the morning while on vacation? Yeah, me either.
How many trips do I take a year?
If you only travel once or twice a year, I’d be quick to opt NOT working on those trips. Go enjoy your time off and deal with work when you get back. Trust me, it can wait.
If you travel often, then doing work while you travel may be necessary. My tip for frequent travelers: Try to make at least one or two of your trips strictly for vacation.
Ask yourself if you truly need to work while you’re traveling. If the answer is no, then don’t! Do the work ahead of time and go enjoy your trip! You can catch up when you return.
If you do decide to work and travel, set yourself up for success with these tips:
Let your customers know you’ll be traveling in advance.
If you’re traveling out of the country, let them know how they can contact you. Believe me, they will appreciate that you thought of them. This can also help prevent unexpected requests and the frantic scrambling to get that extra work done.
Set up an automatic email reply and provide contact information for anything urgent.
This one’s for your own piece of mind. It’s fairly simple, so I’ll leave it at that.
Get as much internet dependent work done before your trip as possible.
This one’s especially important if you have an internet-based business! You don’t know what the connection will be like wherever you go. The best thing to do is plan for no internet (or a really crappy connection).
I learned this one the hard way while working remotely from my parent’s house for a week. After wasting half a day, I settled on the fact that I’d have to go work at a local coffee shop 20 minutes away. Lesson well learned. Ever since, a majority of the work I do while traveling, I can do without any internet connection. I focus on writing blog posts, creating new giveaways, and sharing my adventures.
BONUS: With travel comes new inspiration! Harness this to give your creativity a boost. I can almost guarantee the ideas will flow more freely while you’re away from home – at least they do for me!
Dedicate specific times for work and for play.
Set aside specific times to work so you can focus on enjoying your trip the rest of the time. During “play time”, don’t worry about checking emails or answering phone calls. This plays off the concept of taking charge of your time by setting boundaries and time blocking.
For more in-depth tips on how schedule your day to spend more time enjoying and less time working, download the workbook and planner.
Use travel time as work time.
Whether on the plane, train, in an Uber, or driving, you can get tons of work done on the way to your destination. Answer emails, post on social media, make phone calls, and do other simple tasks while in transit. The more you do, the less you’ll have to do once you’re there! My only exception: If you’re taking a drive for fun, then take in the scenery and immerse yourself in the moment.
BONUS: You can use this tip at home too! Use time spent commuting to cross off a few to-do’s from your list.
Be flexible.
While you should try to stick to your work/play schedule, things will change and last minute opportunities may come up. Don’t say no because you’re supposed to work. Allow yourself to be flexible, enjoy the adventure, and set aside a little time elsewhere to finish your work.
One last tip: When traveling for work, make it a point to set aside time to go explore the area.
Escape the office, conference, or (for us) race track, and go see the sights and explore the local hot spots! If you can fit it in, set aside an afternoon or add an extra day or two onto your trip. You’re already there with most expenses covered, so make the most of it and enjoy the beautiful places you get to visit!
I hope these tips help you balance your work and travel. Do work and travel or opt to keep the two separate? Share your tips in the comments below!
