Today, productivity and multitasking on the run has never been more important. Saving time and optimizing resources on the road has become essential for professionals.
In today's busy business world, every moment counts in the day, and traveling can take a huge chunk of time away from a productive work day. So, instead of getting off the plane and feeling overwhelmed with the amount of work you need to do, ease the stress by preparing yourself with the appropriate tools to do work while you travel.
Strategic packing is key to staying busy and on-top of work while traveling. Choosing a versatile/comfortable traveling bag, packed with all the essentials will make time on the road fruitful and well utilized. It should be light-weight and preferably a size that you will be able to carry on.
- Have reading materials on hand. Print out several items that need to be reviewed as well as having a couple of your favorite business publication in an accessible pocket that can be retrieved easily. Look to read while you are in long lines, in taxi cabs, waiting for meetings, you can always find those moments when you could be doing something.
- Have your phone and laptop chargers readily available so you do not have to go digging in the depths of your suitcase, when you really need to plug in. You never know when your phone or laptop is going to die and being able to squeeze in a few minutes of charge when you spot an outlet can be the key to getting you back online or saving what you had in progress.
- Pack everything you may need: an emergency toiletry kit with Advil or Excedrin gel tabs, stain removers, toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash and anything else you may need. Putting in an emergency Cliff bar or snack could really save you when you are on the go and need a pick-me-up.
Understanding your Mode of Transportation
- On the road- Your hands may be tied, but there are plenty of things to do if you are driving. This is a great time for conference calls, catching up with audio books, or turning on the tunes and diving into some productive brainstorm time. Be sure you have a map or a car with a GPS so you can stay on track.
- On the plane- A great time to tackle bigger projects on your laptop including writing and reviewing work. But do not rely solely on your computer; just in case your computer dies, you will have your reading material on hand. Whether its industry publications and/or books, or print outs of items that are lengthier, you will be happy you came prepared.
The copyright of the article Being Productive on the Road in Business Travel is owned by Lauren Perkins. Permission to republish Being Productive on the Road in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
