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At one point, being able to work while traveling was a fantasy of many and a reality for very few. But now, the opportunity to work from anywhere is fast becoming a real-life enterprise for many nomadic spirits!
But with adventure calling, the beach roaring outside your window, or the fishing poles leaning alluringly against the wall, how can you stay focused and finish work so you can play?
Read on for some pro productivity tips!
Work While Traveling Online from Your RV
Many RVers wanting to work while traveling just have to identify an employer who will let them work remotely.
Working from the road while traveling in your RV is the new virtual reality. The work-from-anywhere revolution was already surging. But the global pandemic made remote work the rule rather than the exception for many.
As employers were forced to try remote work at the outset of the pandemic, many have decided to continue it after state officials lifted specific mandates. It’s all based on the success they’ve seen from the enterprise. Find one of these companies, and you can work on the go!
You could also choose to be a freelancer or contractor. Freelancers have always worked from home, so when “home” is an RV, they’re simply working with different scenery. Writers, musicians, virtual assistants, translators, transcriptionists, consultants, and many more independent contractors can work from an RV. Or the beach, the park, a coffee shop, or a mountaintop, for that matter! If you’re looking for more jobs you can do from the road, More Than A Wheelin’ has a great resource here.
And finally, many entrepreneurs, especially millennials and gen-Xers, have fulfilled their entrepreneurial spirits and started their own blogs or businesses. More power to them! Many young entrepreneurs have a sense of adventure without fear or concerns about what society suggests they “should” be doing. They’re starting businesses of all kinds, and many are flourishing.
It’s genuinely the new frontier for full and part-time workers alike.
Tips to Stay Productive as You Work While Traveling
Finding a way to make a living while traveling and experiencing all the best nature has to offer is a feat to be commended and even envied! So, how do they balance work and recreation? How do they stay productive? Let’s dive in to see what works best!
Set a Schedule to Work While Traveling
Set a schedule based on the times of day when you tend to be most productive, and stick to that schedule! Be your own boss, and enforce it.
For example, are you a writer whose best thoughts come very early in the morning when the rest of the world is quiet, and only the birds are waking? Great! Get up early, make coffee, step outside into a brilliant new sunrise, and get to work!
Also, rather than giving in to the temptation to plan work around your trips, do what any professional would do and plan your travels around work. Want to wake up in the mountains tomorrow? Get up, get your job done, and then start driving, not before.
A work routine fends off the tendency to procrastinate, which only leaves work piling up behind you.
Always Have a Connectivity Plan
You can’t really work while traveling if you have no internet connection. Every road warrior needs to figure out how to get connected and stay connected while traveling. It can be challenging but only takes a little research and financial investment.
Everyone knows that public WiFi is available at coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, and certain restaurants. Not everyone can concentrate and focus well in public areas, but it’s good to know it’s out there if you need it. Finding public WiFi while on the road can be frustrating without a plan, so set yourself up for success.
Hotspots, cell boosters, WiFi boosters, and more than one cell service should keep you connected in your RV. This equipment is where the investment comes into play.
You’ll pay the cost of the hotspot device itself plus a monthly fee. You may be able to use your smartphone as a hotspot, but it’s not usually the best option. An actual hotspot device will likely grab a better signal for you.
A cell booster and a WiFi booster present a one-time cost plus installation, which you can most likely do yourself.
A backup cell service presents yet another monthly fee. If you use Verizon, for example, have a second service with AT&T or another cell carrier so that if you’re in an area where Verizon has insufficient coverage, you’ll have backup coverage. The extra monthly cost might seem excessive but think of it like paying for the internet in a sticks-and-bricks home. We have quite a few backup plans and you can read all about our remote connectivity set up to learn more.
Schedule Actual Days Off
Believe it or not, scheduling time off is a crucial productivity tip. You don’t want to spend all your time traveling on work, right?
When we work from home or on the road, it’s so easy to never stop working. Your work is right there all the time. It’s tempting to work constantly, whether you’re trying to make more money or get to the next level of your profession.
But time off is essential for mind, body, and spirit. It makes you more productive in the long-run, so skimping on vacation days simply doesn’t pay.
Everyone needs rejuvenation. You didn’t hit the road just to sit inside your RV working all the time. You ditched a traditional job to have more time to explore. So, do it! Schedule away hours every day and schedule actual days off during the week.
You’ll thank us for it when you’re at the top of a mountain looking down at your tiny RV where you’ve left your work behind you!
Get A Change of Scenery
Back to public WiFi stations for a minute–sometimes they’re just what the doctor ordered. A change of environment can be a cure for your productivity slump. Forcing yourself into a coffee shop or a library with your computer and some headphones or earplugs can shift your perspective, boosting your creativity and momentum.
College campuses provide a tremendous environmental change as well. Not only do they have fantastic libraries and onsite cafeterias, but they also have lots of land and buildings full of people working.
A mental boost from an academic environment could ramp up your motivation to work while traveling when you need it most!
Set Boundaries
Oh boy, this is a big one when it comes to managing your time to work while traveling! Set boundaries with other humans who think you’re always available just because you work from home.
Say that one more time out loud to let it really sink in!
Remind your people that your work hours in the RV are just like hours spent in an office. If they wouldn’t barge into your “normal” office and spend three hours seeking relationship advice, they shouldn’t do it when you’re working remotely!
You might need to shut off your phone’s sound to avoid distracting text messages. Or you may need to have gentle conversations with those who don’t respect your work boundaries.
It’s equally important to set boundaries about unplugging for the day. If you’ve completed your day’s work, respect your work boundaries by not responding to every work-related call, text, and email that arrives. Your coworkers are likely working odd hours too, and it’s okay to let people know you’ve worked a full day and will respond later (emergencies are the exception, of course).
Do what you have to do to respect your work boundaries and ask others to do the same.
Test Out These Productivity Tips to Work While Traveling!
You have a phenomenal opportunity to work while traveling in an RV. As long as you prepare for the experience by setting and honoring schedules, boundaries, and productivity guidelines, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your travels and adventures.
Another con of Allstays app is it available only for Apple, not Android.