WORK ANYWHERE & STILL BE PRODUCTIVE
It’s important to understand the dynamics of working Anywhere and approach it with the right mindset; it could get frustratingly difficult, otherwise. This post focuses on 5 key tips that will lay your work Anywhere apprehensions to rest and help achieve your productivity goals with ease.
Tip #1: Know Yourself
It may sound like the proverbial cliché but it pays to know yourself well. You can create a great Anywhere Works experience when you have a think about what it means to you. This is particularly important when you have to stay motivated and be productive in an isolated environment. Begin by asking yourself these questions:
What draws me to work Anywhere?
What does a productive day look like to me?
How do I handle those random “blah” moments?
With clarity on these pertinent topics, you can set achievable goals at the start of your day. Discuss with your team about collaboration and project deadlines and build your schedule accordingly. You can make minor tweaks as you go along but avoid veering off on a tangent. Knowing what works best for you is number one; number two is finding your right space to work - it could be your home or finding co-working spaces in your neighbourhood.
Tip #2: Anywhere Works
We are witnessing some of the biggest breakthroughs in traditional industries, thanks to great strides in technology. Physical workspaces are fast transitioning into connectivity hubs. You could network and collaborate with your team from Anywhere basically - this is the new reality.
Johannes Völkner from webworktravel.com says, “becoming a digital nomad can be a great step towards building a location independent business. That’s one reason why many people move to digital nomad hubs with a low cost of living like Bali or Chiang Mai. These are great places to meet other digital nomads, collaborate, and learn from each other.” Anywhere Works is in its element when you can be at your productive best, all things considered.
Tip #3: Organize Your Day
Collaboration and teamwork are vital to staying on track and even more so in an Anywhere Work scenario. Your colleagues could be many time zones away and not online when you are. Collaborating and staying in the loop could be a challenge without a plan. This tip is going to help you plan your day and arm you with the right tools to execute it.
Begin your day with a task checklist. You can use Google Tasks (Android/ iOS), a popular (free) app to create your checklist. You can find a detailed guide on leveraging the best of Google Tasks - like syncing your Google Calendar here. Another quick tip is to adapt to changes. Things don't always go to plan and a cancelled meeting or a delayed report shouldn’t spoil your day. Have a contingency plan to fall back on, under such circumstances.
Tip #4: Don’t Get Time-Zoned!
Working with a distributed team means working with different time zones. Plan your day to ensure at least some part of your work hours overlaps with your distributed team. If there’s a 12-hour difference, you can isolate an hour or more at a different time of the day just to collaborate.
Time zone apps like Spacetime.am and 24timezones.com can show when your team is online and when your hours overlap with theirs. Leverage time zone differences effectively to strike that balance between life and work. The next tip will elaborate on why this balance is important.
Tip #5: Balance Work & Life
Work and life is a balancing act and in the Anywhere Works scenario, it’s harder to separate the two. An imbalance could mean burnout or productivity loss. This tip from Liz Presson from themuse.com suggests that you have a morning routine before hopping on to your laptop. Now, you can breeze through your morning chores and Segway into work like your traditional 9-5 shift.
Make yourself comfortable and move around frequently to improve your blood circulation. Stretch your upper torso to relieve muscle tension. Try fitting in a quick 20-minute workout during breaks. A slightly longer 30-minute break could mean a quick nip to Starbucks or a healthy meal by Jamie Oliver delivered to your door.
In Closing…
At the end of your workday, tick off completed tasks and have a quick plan for things to do the next day. When you “clock out” of work, you literally clock out. Remember, Anywhere Works when you strike that balance between work and life.
Found these tips useful? You could share your Anywhere Works thoughts/tips in the comments section below. Please feel free to share this post with someone who’s still on the fence about working Anywhere.