Work And Travel – How To Manage It All

This is me working from my room on-board a cruise ship parked outside of Santorini, Greece.

For the past few years I’ve been traveling the world while at the same time working for myself. The freedom of self-employment means that I can play when others are working… and work from remote locations all over the world. But working for myself also means I have to be very careful with how I choose to spend my time. If I work too much I don’t have any time left over for the joys of traveling. And if I work too little I won’t have the funds necessary to continue my current lifestyle. Balancing both work and travel can be difficult! That’s why I’ve put together the following five tips for those of you who are lucky enough to be able to combine your work and travel schedules.

1: Schedule In Your Working Hours In Advance

Before you go off on a trip, schedule in your working hours. If you want to work 2 hours per day, schedule those two hours onto your calendar each day and then block out the rest of the time for other activities. Scheduling your work time in advance will ensure that the work-a-holic in you doesn’t take over. The last thing you want to do when traveling is spend every waking hour on your telephone or in front of your computer.

2. If You Have To Work, Do Only That Which Is Of High Importance

When you do schedule in your working time, be sure that the tasks you are scheduling are of high-importance only. When you are traveling, your time is limited. Therefore, don’t waste your valuable travel time on small unimportant tasks that can be handled at a later date. Do only what needs to be done and leave the rest until later.

3. Immerse Yourself In The Culture

In much the same way that you schedule in time to do your work, you also need to schedule in some time to immerse yourself in the local culture. Schedule time each day to talk a walk around your local area, eat at a nearby restaurant, attend a local museum, or participate in some other activity that is unique to the area you are visiting. Take the time to enjoy your surroundings and learn something new.

4. Exercise & Eat Right To Stay Healthy

While traveling it is important that you continue to exercise and eat healthy foods. If you get sick, you won’t be able to work or travel. That’s why it is so important that you make the time each day to go for a walk or run, ride a bike, or do something active. Eating right is extremely important as well, but finding nutritious foods can be both expensive and difficult in many parts of the world. That said, you should make the extra effort to seek out healthy foods and keep yourself in the best shape possible.

5. Schedule Time To For Yourself

Finally, schedule in some time each day to simply be alone. It’s fun to travel with a partner and meet new people, but it’s important that you also have a little time each day to be by yourself. Some people require more alone time than others, but what’s important here is that you get enough time to yourself that you are able to think about the experiences you are having, the moves you want to make in the future (both personally and with your work), and you have the time needed to get re-charged for your travels ahead.

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