The idea of frequent trips and visiting different destinations may sound too good to be true, but there are thousands of people who do it, best known as digital nomads. They are entrepreneurs, writers, designers, marketers and pretty much every profession that involves a lot of computer and online work. What they all have in common is that for different reasons, they realized that at some point staying at one place just doesn’t work for them.
However, away from the rigidness of a traditional office schedule, working remotely poses a unique set of challenges. There are many recommendations for working remotely that generally relate to routine management, remote team collaborations and coworking spaces. Here are the best tips for how to finish effectively your work, while working remotely:
Be present and keep in touch with colleagues and clients
For remote workers who work for non-remote companies it’s more difficult to keep in touch and up to date with the latest happenings. In order to be present, try to communicate on an everyday basis with your colleagues, even if it’s to check on them, say hi and ask how they’ve been. Offer video calls, one-on-one catch-ups and be transparent and honest about your working schedule.
Create and stick to a schedule or remote work routine
While thinking of how to work effectively in a remote mode create a schedule or to-do list that will emphasize your daily tasks. When working remotely, you don’t have colleagues or managers looking over your shoulder at what you’re doing, so it’s very important to be organised and disciplined because distractions are on every corner. Consider sticking to a 9 to 5 or 9 to 6 routine with a few breaks. It’s easy to sleep in and even easier to stay up late if you have no obligations but starting your day on time guarantees you’ll get your job done on a more effective way.
Join coworking spaces
Should you join one of those? Definitely. This is for those who prefer a more consistent working environment, rather than working from a restaurant or a café. My friends spent three months travelling around Europe working from bars and pubs and the outcome was pretty clear: these spaces were not ideal for focused work. They often aren’t equipped with enough power outlets like chargers or comfortable desks. Instead, search for coworking spaces that offer memberships and try if this works for you. Another good perk that coworking spaces offer is that you can easily meet new people and find a community. Meeting like-minded people whom you share the same lifestyle can help you find new job opportunities, find out about new useful working tips and make new friends.
Pack appropriately for remote work and travel
Whenever you are on a vacation mode, pack your laptop and focus on your phone and digital camera. This way you’ll document every aspect of your journey while staying in touch with your family. This might turn out to be frustrating and difficult as you have to take along stuff that makes working possible and easy to handle. List your essential tools and gadgets and make sure they are packed appropriately, aside from your clothes and personal stuff. Invest in a backpack that will be multifunctional and not heavy on you while you travel.
Minimise distractions and stay focused
I found out that I check my phone more often than I should. If it sits next to me, I’ll be curious to check that email, click that new notification from Instagram, check out the new bingo offers from bingo sites at Bingo Scanner and all of a sudden – my focus is gone. As with any type of task to which you dedicate your energy and focus, make sure to take away the things that prevent you from being productive. If you can’t work well in noisy environments, get yourself noise-cancelling headphones. Or if you function well with background white noises as I do, use the energy of those around you to keep yourself determined and motivated. Remove everything that might distract you from having a productive day in your remote office.
And last, but not least- praise yourself often, as working remotely is more of a challenge rather than an advantage. It looks pretty easy to those who’ve never tried it, but every time you come across an obstacle, remember your choices, why you’re doing this and how far you’ve come. Smile and keep moving!