One of the biggest perks of working remotely is being able to hop on a plane, train or even a boat and still maintain your income. There’s potentially no limit to the amount of traveling you can do, and as a result, you don’t need to cram your sightseeing into a week’s worth of annual leave. You can enjoy a slower pace of adventure, soak in the sights and sounds of a new destination like a local, and even experience a location in multiple different seasons.
It all sounds pretty ideal, but there’s one small catch – you still need to be productive in order to get paid. It’s not the same as a vacation, so regardless of whether you’re a freelancer or part of a team, you’ll need to be in contact with your colleagues and clients and deliver on your work.
So how can you make the most of your freedom but also make sure you’re acing your deliverables? Find out in this short guide.
Plan ahead and share
Whilst being spontaneous when you’re traveling can be a good thing, when it comes to remote working, it pays to be prepared. If your team never knows which time zone you’re in or when you might be available, it can create a sense of disconnect and discontent, and make it harder to collaborate on tasks.
Planning ahead can also help you ensure that you have the right facilities to be able to do your job properly – power and wifi at a minimum. You’ll also want to make sure that you have a space to take calls without interruptions if that’s part of your role.
Part of your preparation for your travels should also include creating a budget, so that you don’t run out of funds halfway through. Planning ahead, so that you at least have accommodation and travel sorted, can ensure that things go smoothly and create a sense of routine.
Be realistic with your expectations
You’ve got plenty of hours in the day, so you can easily work a full day and then sightsee during an extended lunch, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you’re traveling for an extended period, you need to make sure that you’re having enough rest, otherwise your work quality will suffer, and you’ll just feel exhausted.
It’s natural to feel like you want to make the most of your time abroad, but there needs to be a balance. Consider booking at least some time off in each place, to allow you to explore properly without cramming work in too. Alternatively, extend your travels so that you’re not only spending a few days in each location – slowing down the pace can give you the time to investigate everything but without losing any income or vacation allowance.
Brush up on your time management skills
Stressing over deadlines is not the way you want to spend your time abroad. There’s a lot to handle when you’re constantly moving around, and not everything goes as planned. So, prioritizing time management and avoiding last minute rushes to turn work in can make a huge difference to your experience. Plus, if you’re ahead, you can potentially skip out and use the time to explore, so it’s well-worth the effort.
Especially if you’re the only member of your team who is traveling, you want to make sure that your choices aren’t making things harder for everyone else, lest your remote perks get restricted. Being organized, delivering work on time and making sure you can enjoy your adventures are all important.
Make the most of social spaces
One of the harder aspects of working remotely is the loneliness that can sink in if you’re traveling solo. Fortunately, more and more people are choosing a flexible lifestyle, so there’s usually someone around who you can connect with, if you look for them.
Co-working spaces can be a great opportunity to connect with other international travelers and get a feeling of connection that you might have previously got from the office. Most places will offer a day pass, or if you’re in the area for longer you can potentially get a discount on a week or month membership.
If there’s no designated space around, then still make an effort to head out to a cafe or similar on a regular basis. Not only can it stave off feelings of isolation, you’ll be able to soak in the neighborhood atmosphere and enjoy a local speciality snack.
Adventure of a lifetime
There you have it – our top tips for balancing travel and remote work. All that’s left to do is go out there and enjoy this fantastic adventure for yourself.
