Does your job involve a lot of business travel, such as attending conferences, trade shows and meetings in other cities? Business travel can be a great opportunity to network with new people, make important professional connections and get inspired by new ideas. However, frequent travel can really put a damper on your productivity. It is hard enough to stay on top of things when you are in one place, so when you are always staying in hotels and are travelling on trains and planes you might find it extra difficult to keep up with your work.
What can a road warrior and frequent traveller do to keep productive even when on a business trip? Here are some tips for staying focused while you are on the road:
Establish Productivity Routines
The hardest part of getting work done while you are on a business trip is how displaced you will feel. If you are used to working in your office at work or your desk at home, being in an unfamiliar hotel or serviced apartment can really throw you off.
In order to get your brain into ‘work -mode’, you can form a ritual that means it is time to get down to business. Set up the desk at your accommodation in the same way that your desk is set up at home or at the office. It can really help to stay in serviced apartments rather than a small hotel room, because you will be more likely to have a large and practical desk that is conducive to productivity. It’s hard to do your best work when you are curled up on the hotel bed.
Wake up at a specific time, drink your morning coffee, put on your favourite working music and get down to work. Plan around your conference or meetings and schedule in hours of work time where you make the decision to focus and get specific tasks completed.
Get Enough Sleep
Even though you are disturbed from your usual routines at home, it is still very important to get enough sleep so that you can maximise your productivity. It can be hard to get enough sleep during a business trip because there is so much going on. It might be tempting to have a few more drinks with colleagues in the evening, but this can really ruin your plans to get up early and do a couple of hours of work before the conference starts.
Burning the candle at both ends can work only for a couple of days until you start feeling terrible and your exhaustion really compromises your productivity. Keep yourself sharp and alert by getting the sleep you need.
Take Advantage of Time in Transit
Make sure your laptop is fully charged and make the most of any time that you spend waiting for a plane or sitting on a train. These are prime work hours because you are stuck in your seat anyway and can’t be distracted by anything else. The more work you get done on the flight or the train journey, the less you will have to do when you get there.
These are just a few tips that will help any business traveller stay productive and get things done while on the road.
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