As a digital nomad, you love the freedom that your lifestyle gives you. Whether you’re a social media guru helping companies with Instagram hashtags or run a web design business with a remote team alongside you, it’s amazing that you can make a living while traveling the world. You’re an expert when it comes to email communications and Slack, and you’re also an expert at finding the best hostels and co-working spaces in any city. But lately, you’ve felt like you could be a little more productive with your work. Because sometimes, it’s hard to stay motivated when you’re doing all your work online.
Certainly many opportunities are available to support the digital nomad lifestyle, and not all are online. Teaching is particularly popular, such as using your skills to instruct diving in the islands or to teach English in Spain.
There are lots of strategies you can use to be more productive, including using the right email finder. If you create the right routine there are some great ways to stay productive as a digital nomad business leader.
1 Create a daily routine–wherever you are
One of the most effective ways of being productive is by setting up a routine. If you don’t have one, it’s too easy to put off work until after you’ve gone on a walking tour in a new city. Or stay in bed an extra hour, chatting with a friend in another country over Skype, and suddenly realize that you’ve lost a good chunk of potential work time on a busy day. The digital nomad lifestyle has two potential problems when it comes to having a routine: there’s no accountability (except for your own), and it’s easy when you’re traveling to disrupt it.
Because of this, you need to find a routine that can work anywhere, no matter where you are. So anytime you arrive at a new hostel or AirBnB, find out how your new city can work with your routine. If you prefer to work at cafe first thing, find out what coffee shops are nearby. Another great idea is becoming part of a local expat or nomad group on Facebook so you can ask in advance about the best parks for walks and places with free wifi. Whatever you need to work, you can make it work: there are going to be 1 billion digital nomads in the world by 2035, so someone will have the answers you need.
2 Use apps to get motivated
Sometimes, we need extra help when it comes to motivating ourselves. Even once you’ve got your daily routine down, if you can’t concentrate by the time you sit down, you aren’t going to get far. If you’ve got faraway deadlines, or you’re freelancing on your own without a team or partner you work with, it’s easier to check your email than get some work done. That’s where apps that will for you to work come in.
For example, there’s Freedom. According to Zapier, “Freedom is an all-in-one distraction blocker for your computer and mobile devices. Once you’ve installed it on your computer or phone, you can block websites and apps from the dashboard for all of your devices, as well as create scheduled focus sessions…If you know your bad habits, you can set up Freedom sessions to counter those habits.”
Another great app is the Marinara app, which uses the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of work, 5 and 15 minutes breaks) to help you space out your work during the day. To learn more about other productivity apps you can use, check out this list from Work Zone. And don’t forget to turn off your phone! We spend over 4 hours a day on our mobile phones, so it’s worth putting it aside (or in another room, if you’re too tempted) so that you don’t spend your whole work day scrolling through Facebook.
3 Hit the gym–and make time to relax
Most importantly, you need a break sometimes when you’re working. It’s important to be aware of deadlines, and think of creative ways to stay productive, but you’re going to burn out if you don’t give yourself time for just you. Both exercise and relaxation are important for this. In 2016, 22.7 percent of men engaged in exercise-like activities–so if you aren’t fit yet, don’t feel guilty. But do find some exercises that you can do anywhere as a nomad.
In addition to relaxation and exercise, don’t forget to sleep. According to a study from The Harvard Review, “in a separate study of 81 organizations and 189,000 people around the world, we found that four types of leadership behavior are most commonly associated with high-quality executive teams. What’s striking in all four cases is the proven link between sleep and effective leadership.”
These are some of the best ways for you to stay focused and productive as a digital nomad business leader. What other strategies do you use so that you get your work done efficiently?
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