How to Stay Focused and on Top of Your Work When You Travel

When you work online or remotely and travel at the same time, one of your worst enemies is procrastination. You planned to do these four important tasks today, but you cannot leave the hot sand and the beautiful waves… so, you procrastinate. When you are an employee, you work your eight hours and have the weekend for yourself. However, when you work freelance or remotely, you never know when work will hit you. Sometimes it can be on your weekend or vacation. Here are a few tips to be more productive when you travel and spend less time in front of the computer, but still do more tasks and enjoy your holidays.

Give yourself a few breaks a day

When I started working on my own projects, I did not give myself any schedule and I often worked 10-12 hours a day without any trouble. However, one day I was fed up. I felt like going on Youtube to watch a video or two, I convinced myself that it will all take no more than 5 min. The thing is, I ended up watching all the trailers in the history of cinema, from Blade Runner to The Godfather. In short, it is a miscalculation to want to do too much, it always catches you. So now, I work 6 hours a day and stop for the rest of the day to relax and see the people I love.

Respond to your mails twice a day only

Here is another trap: the bad habit of answering your mails all day. Well, unless your job is to handle emails. Give yourself 10 minutes in the morning to answer them and 10 other minutes in the evening to do the same, but no more. Spend the rest of the day on your real occupation, the one that brings you value!

Do the most important things first

We often want to start our day with something fun that we enjoy doing. However, it is in the morning that we have the most energy. Therefore, it is best to start your day with the tasks that need your full concentration and leave the fun, easy or creative tasks to the afternoon. In the same way, plan your whole week to start the two or three first days with the most important tasks and leave the more pleasant ones to the end of the week. It is like you are rewarding yourself. Besides, you will have more motivation to stay productive every week.  

Make a weekly planning

Another good way to fight against procrastination as a freelancer on a trip: plan really well! I think it is important to have a 6-month plan in outline for big tasks, a list of the priority tasks of the coming month, and finally a breakdown by week. I know, it sounds a bit military, but it really is the best way to avoid procrastination and avoid saying to yourself: “I do not have the time this month, I’ll be there next month”. There is no worse thing than looking at the pages of the calendar moving slowly while your list of tasks done is still empty.

Another tip is to avoid planning tasks day by day. You will plan six tasks and end up doing only two of them. A weekly schedule is better, as it is wide enough to allow freedom of adaptation according to emergencies or holidays and days off.

Have an agenda

And yes, this small object that now seems from another world may save your life! Invest in one quickly if you haven’t already. You can choose from so many types of agendas: paper size, big, small, pretty, electronic, on Google or app, it is up to you. I think it is still the best way to free some brain space and stay productive as a freelancer when you are travelling. Cultivate the habit of checking your appointments every morning and adapt your day’s schedule accordingly. Procrastination won’t beat you ever again!

Don’t answer personal calls on your work time.

Another small disadvantage to being freelancer on a trip is that people do not understand that you are actually working, too. They think: “ah, but he or she is always either at home or traveling, I will be able to reach him or her!” And they call you. You also receive that little message: “Can we skype now, are you there? “. Answering personal calls during work time is the best way to be late on your work and reduce your productivity. Make it clear to your family and friends that you are working, just like them, the difference is that you are your own boss. Do not answer their calls on your work time or answer to say that you will call them back when you are done working. Let them know about the time you work and the time you are free, so that they can respect it.