You can be the most productive person in the world but once you throw travel into the mix, all bets are off. It’s difficult to stay on track when you’re dealing with jet-lag and an unfamiliar hotel room. Here are four tips to be highly productive when traveling for work.
Know Before You Go
Being a business traveler has it perks, but it certainly has it challenges, as well. One of those challenges is trying to figure out the layout of a new town or city. Where are your meetings going to be held at? Where’s the closest restaurant if you’d like to arrange a working dinner? How’s the wi-fi where you’ll be staying?
Once you arrive at your destination, you’re likely going to be exhausted. Traveling can take a lot out of a person. This is especially true when you’re flying. There’s so much involved with just getting onto your plane these days. So take that idle time when you’re at the airport or sitting on the plane, to get to know where you’re going. Plan out all of your routes and get a secure layout of the land. This will prevent you from having to worry about those things once you arrive.
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Have a Plan
The worst thing you can do is leave the house without having a plan in place. Regardless of any technology, you have available to you, there’s nothing like an old fashioned plan to keep you on track. This is especially true if you’re looking at your day as a whole, and not just from a business perspective.
Obviously you want to make sure you hit your big meetings completely prepared, but you also want to be sure you don’t forget the rest of your life when you travel. For example, if you exercise, set aside time in your morning to do some crunches in the hotel. If getting your rest at night is important to your productivity then set rules to stop playing your favorite online blackjacks games at www.mansioncasino.com/za/blackjack/21-duel/at least 30 minutes before going to bed at night. This ensures an optimal sleep pattern.
You’re going to feel far more productive about your trip if you don’t allow any part of your life to slip, just because you happen to be in a different zip code. That’s not to say you shouldn’t give yourself a bit of leniency, too. Just be sure to plan out the things that are important to you.
Take a Personal Assistant
No, we’re not talking about shelling out twice the money to have someone tag along with you, although that’s a great option if you have the money and your assistant has the time. We’re talking about a technological assistant. One that fits into your phone or onto your tablet.
There are so many great apps these days that can do much of what a personal assistant can. You can download apps that will track and monitor all of your scheduled meetings. There are contact assistants that can track the information on everyone you’ll be meeting with. You can even download a nap app so you can rejuvenate smartly if you arrive jet-lagged.
Communicate with Your Home Team
Communicating with your home team means getting on the same page as your co-workers in your office, as well as your friends and family. Let them know when you’ll have time to talk. There are probably plenty of projects back in the office that you’ll still need to keep track of. Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean everything else will come to a stop.
The same is true of your home life. Schedule time to check in with your family or friends. Maybe there are school meetings or upcoming plans you need to keep on top of. Whatever it is, communicating about it before you leave and setting expectations, will help you feel calmer once you’re at your destination.
Traveling can be challenging, but there’s no reason why it has to uproot your entire life. Keep these tips in mind before you take your next trip and you might just be more productive than ever.
