Lots of people see the digital nomad lifestyle as fun. And in essence, it is. You get to choose when, where, and how you’ll work, which isn’t something you’ll get with a traditional office job. But, on the other hand, it can be daunting if you don’t know how to stay productive as a digital nomad. As a remote worker, it’s on you to keep your discipline and motivation high and stay on top of your game.
Of course, we get how hard it can be to sit down and get to work when you’re traveling a lot. However, you can’t afford to skip it. If you don’t get things done, your clients won’t be happy, and you’ll lose the way to support your wandering lifestyle. It’s one of the biggest challenges freelance writers face, but you’ll learn how to overcome it today.
Set a Daily Routine
Moving between different cities and time zones isn’t easy for anyone. While it may seem attractive at first, it gets to you after a while. You start feeling unsettled, you can’t relax, and it’s hard to focus. We’ve all been there, but luckily there’s an easy fix.
Set a daily routine. It’ll help you slide into new situations and surroundings quickly and with far less stress. And the best of all is that you don’t have to do anything major to start with it. It’s enough to set your alarm for the same time each morning, get up when it rings, and then make your coffee or do your workout, whichever you prefer. Just make sure you do it every morning without fail, and you’ll see the benefits in no time.
Work When You’re Productive
Not all of us are productive at the same time of the day. And if you’ve been a digital nomad for some time, the chances are that you know when you do the most work. Whether you’re an early bird or a midnight owl, you must work when your mind is in the right place for it.
If you’re just starting your traveling lifestyle, don’t be afraid to experiment. Try working as soon as you get up, in the afternoon or at night. The results you get might surprise you.
Of course, once you know when you’re most productive, organize your day around it. Work when your energy is high, and relax when it’s low. The sooner you find your rhythm, the more you’ll enjoy your days.
Travel Smart
When living as a digital nomad, your most precious piece of electronics is your laptop. You need something that’ll get the work done and that you can fit in your backpack. If you need to carry more gear around, be sure to learn how to pack to protect your equipment. You won’t have much use of that new vlogging camera if it ends up in pieces after a long flight.
And while we’re on the subject of long trips — make use of that time by working. Why wouldn’t you write those blog posts while sitting on a train or a plane? It’s not like you have anything better to do while in the air. Also, it’s not a bad idea to travel less. Although this may sound counterintuitive for a digital nomad, you’ll spend more time in each place you visit. You’ll get to learn more about it and meet more interesting people, while it’ll be easier not to miss any of your work.
Stay Organized
If you want to learn how to stay productive as a digital nomad, you must figure out your priorities and stay on your schedule. Of course, you won’t have a nice whiteboard to write all your goals and tasks while on the road, but there are plenty of project management platforms that’ll help you keep track of everything.
Trust us when we tell you — Asana or Trello will keep you in the loop much better than any old whiteboard, and they’re free. And as a bonus, you get that satisfaction of ticking off tasks you’ve completed. It helps with the motivation you’ll need if you want to stay on time.
Keep Distractions Away
When you travel a lot, it’s hard not to spend hours upon hours on social media posting videos and making your friends jealous. We get it, traveling is fun, and there’s nothing wrong with sharing your experiences from the best cities in the world.
However, if the social media whirlpool sucks you in, your work might suffer. So, it’s best to limit your time on these platforms and not allow yourself to waste too much of it on them. You’ll be less distracted, and it’ll reflect on your productivity.
Furthermore, think about the distractions in the world outside of social media. We don’t say that you have to miss every hostel party you come upon, but you don’t have to visit all of them either. Thus, have fun, but don’t push it too far.
Create Your Workspace
Your work environment is essential, so it would be best if you could create a dedicated workspace. Sure, it’s not the easiest thing to do when you’re staying at places that you have little to no control over, but you can still take a few steps.
For example, you can look up coworking spaces in the area you’re traveling to. These are a great option as they’ll provide you with everything you need. You’ll get a desk, an internet connection, and all the coffee you can drink for a small fee. You might even meet other digital nomads and get a chance to collaborate with some of them. Still, if working between your four walls is your cup of tea, you can learn how to set up your home office and make your home wherever you go. The choice is yours.
Conclusion
Whether you’re working in the office, from home, or across the globe, you always have to work on productivity. Luckily, things will become much easier now that you know how to stay productive as a digital nomad. Of course, the big change can’t happen overnight, but you’ll enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle if you keep your efforts up.
