I’ve learned a few things these last couple of weeks about working while trying to enjoy my time abroad. For starters, I found out the hard way that online banking and paying your bills isn’t as easy as when you do it from home. I also learned that scheduling social media posts becomes like trying to solve a complex math equation when you need to factor in a time difference. Then there’s the constant wondering about what’s in my mailbox back home that I might need to take care of. And while there are ways around these seemingly minor issues, these were just a few things I had to grapple with on my trip overseas.
There were also things I planned for on my trip that worked well. One of them is how I structured my days to make the most of the time I had away. I learned the last time I traveled to Europe in the fall that the time difference could work to my advantage.
Here’s how I planned my days for work and fun:
Gave my clients my availability: Weeks before I went away, I started prepping my clients. That meant trying to get ahead on projects, tying up any loose ends, and making sure that they had everything they needed from me before I left. Of course, I was reachable on my trip, but I let them know the hours that I planned to be working and when I would be away from my phone and computer for extended periods. That helped manage expectations, and with the time difference, that was important.
Set realistic working hours for myself: I knew between the initial jet lag and that I had traveled all that way to enjoy my time in a new place, that I wouldn’t be working full or even half days on my trip. I set aside a few breaks during my day to check in and take care of any emails that needed my immediate attention. I also didn’t feel guilty about taking this time for myself. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel like if I’m not constantly working, I’m not making money or doing enough to grow my business. But, as my business coach always says, your business should fit around your life, not the other way around. Did I end up working late into the evenings some days? Yes, I did. But that allowed me to have a leisurely morning and plan a fun activity during the day. The perk of entrepreneurship is that you can work when and how you want, which makes me feel grateful for taking this leap.
Allowed for the unexpected: I goofed. I was waiting for it to happen, and it did. I generally tried to keep meetings to morning hours on the East Coast, so it would be 6 pm my time. But on one of the days when I had a 6 pm meeting planned, I went on a 12-mile hike. Initially, I thought six hours would be plenty of time to make it back. But, four hours in and still not at our destination, I realized it wasn’t going to be enough time. So, there I was, surrounded by nothing but trees, trying to navigate TravelPass on my phone to get an Internet signal so I could reschedule my meeting. Oops!
This was one of my longest trips I’ve taken in recent memory. But being able to work while away made it so much easier to enjoy my time. In the past, I would dread coming home from a trip because I knew that I would return to an overflowing inbox. However, when you’re your own boss, you have more control over your workload and how you structure your days, and that’s a win-win for me.
Leave a Reply