The digital nomad lifestyle combines remote work with travel and adventure, offering flexibility and freedom for those with wanderlust. But success in this career also requires discipline, a clear plan and the right tools to maintain productivity, balance and personal growth. Using smart remote work productivity tips can help you keep the right work-life balance when managing travel and work. They’re easy to implement, too. Maximize productivity and thrive with these tips for digital nomads.
Understanding The Digital Nomad Lifestyle
Remote work has progressed well past a COVID trend. In 2023, 35% of employees performed some or all of their work remotely, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means more than one-third of our workforce is partaking in this business model. The number continues to rise as more companies realize the benefits of remote work.
Some people, however, give a whole new meaning to telecommuting. They go beyond a home office or hybrid schedule and do their office job—from marketing and cybersecurity to project management and graphic design—from quite literally anywhere while traveling. In some cases, never staying in one place for too long. These people are referred to as “digital nomads.” Currently, about 11% of Americans fall into this adventurous bucket.
The ability to work wherever there is WiFi is a dream come true in terms of flexibility. This lifestyle allows people to explore new places and immerse themselves in new cultures—without having to take PTO or sacrifice a paycheck. The flexibility that comes with being a digital nomad could allow for potentially lower living costs. With a lack of commute and a self-made schedule, they also may have more time to spend on hobbies, passions, activities, learning new things—and of course, experiencing different places.
However, this work state can also add stress. Factors like isolation, a lack of stability and the possibility of travel fatigue can take a toll. Plus, one of the largest challenges is learning how to be productive in an ever-changing environment.
The Importance Of Productivity For Digital Nomads
From the outside looking in, the digital nomad life can seem like one long and glamorous holiday. But, in reality, it’s a work hard, play hard kind of position that requires planning, discipline and serious time management skills.
When you’re working remotely, you oftentimes have an advantage in being able to define your working hours. You can choose to dive into projects when you’re at full capacity. For night owls, for example, this is in the evening rather than the morning. Some people also tend to be at their best in the middle of the day. Yet, digital nomads must also be self-motivated and organized enough to stay on top of tasks while in the midst of the distractions, challenges and changes frequent travel can bring.
Setting clear goals and boundaries is the first step to ensuring productivity and reducing stress while traveling. In addition, mapping out work time vs. exploring time can provide structure so you can get the most out of your experience while continuing to show up as a competent and dependable employee. Fortunately, implementing strategic remote work productivity tips can help you thrive as a digital nomad.
Key Productivity Tips For Digital Nomads
When you’re learning how to work as a digital nomad, figuring out how to maximize productivity can be key. While some of your remote work strategies might be based on your personality and work style, other tips are pretty universal when working as a digital nomad. Adjust these as you see fit to stay effective and consistent in your work performance while living the travel life you love.
1. Establish A Consistent Routine
When you work where and when you want as a digital nomad, it’s easy to fall into inconsistent habits. This could lead to more strain, procrastination and possibly missed deadlines. Setting work hours and creating routines can be helpful remote work productivity tips.
Set Fixed Work Hours
Create a weekly schedule with clear start and end times. This could be a standard string of hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or even blocks of hours (i.e. from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then later at night from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.). This will depend on your company’s requirements and your personal preferences.
When setting your hours, remember to be cognizant of time zones, as well as your clients’ and team’s working hours. You’ll want to let them know when they can rely on you to be available. Also, know that you can review this schedule as needed should your location or situation change. Make sure to bake in some wiggle room for any travel-related mishaps.
Create Morning And Evening Rituals
You can support your work schedule with practiced rituals to begin and end your day. Researchers from the mental health app Headspace share that routines can help alleviate anxiety and stress while boosting creativity and productivity. For digital nomads, they can also help to foster a sense of normalcy, even when you’re far from home.
No matter where you are in your travels, maximize productivity by committing to starting each day with the same regime to get you in the groove. This could be as simple as drinking a glass of water and doing some light reading before eating breakfast and jumping into work. Similarly, find a system that works for you at night to help you unwind and promote better sleep.
2. Optimize Your Workspace
Having the right work location and helpful gear can help you capitalize on performance when working as a digital nomad.
Choose Productive Locations
Airbnbs and hotels with poor internet connections aren’t likely to be part of your recipe for success. For digital nomads, it’s essential to find an environment that is WiFi-friendly, quiet and conducive to working with minimal interruptions. This could be a spacious cafe, a library or a dedicated coworking space (a great choice if you’re also looking to meet other digital nomads, network or collaborate).
When selecting your work location, consider things like comfort and amenities. You’ll want to have a sturdy chair and good lighting. Consider access to power outlets and even things like printers or a kitchen, depending on your needs and habits.
Equip Yourself With The Right Tools
If you’re getting started as a digital nomad, you might think a laptop is all you need to work on the go. But there are other gadgets that you might want at your disposal. Things like travel adapters for power outlets and portable power banks (consider those compatible with both phones and laptops) can make your life a little easier and prevent headaches.
Other gear, like noise-canceling headphones and ring lights, can help you approach your video meetings. Portable WiFi devices or mobile hotspots are great in-case-of-emergency items. Plus, don’t forget about ergonomic accessories designed for support and comfort. These include special chairs, cushions, computer stands, keyboards or a mouse that syncs with your computer.
3. Maximize Technology For Efficiency
As a digital nomad, technology is your friend. But, you’ll need to learn how to use it to your maximum advantage. Consider what tools and automation platforms will work for your specific needs to focus on productivity and success.
Use Project Management Tools
Project management tools can help when balancing work and travel. Depending on your company or business, you may already have a designated platform you’re required to use, such as a content management system (or CMS). But you can use other tools in congruence with this, too. Adopt Google Drive or Microsoft’s OneDrive for storage, file sharing and collaboration on documents. Outside of these, tools like Trello, Asana and Notion are great for organizing tasks among teams in a visual and structured way. And communication apps like Slack also help you to keep in touch with colleagues.
Automate Repetitive Tasks
One of the best remote work productivity tips is to learn to work smarter, not harder with task automation. Depending on your field and position, you likely have responsibilities that recur quarterly, monthly, weekly or even daily.
There are also platforms out there that can help you tackle these assignments more efficiently, such as Zapier. The tool allows you to connect various apps, with no coding required. You can then set up automated workflows called Zaps, which consist of trigger actions that initiate events in other apps. For example, Zapier can automatically create a to-do list within a Google Sheet based on text from an email. Platforms like Asana can also automate to-dos like task setup and form sends, all while giving you more time to adventure.
4. Set Clear Goals And Prioritize Tasks
Making time-managed goals and learning how to best prioritize tasks can go a long way when working as a digital nomad.
Define Daily And Weekly Goals
It’s easy to become distracted by your travels, but defining daily and weekly goals can keep you on track at work and help you continue to grow in your career. Practice setting goals that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound). Start by identifying your overarching objectives (i.e. I want to be promoted by next year, or I want to move into a different role). Then, break these down into milestones.
While planning your weeks, identify hard deadlines and priority tasks that must be completed. Later you
can fill in additional time with more flexible assignments or personal development projects. Remember to
review your goals regularly and track your progress so you know you’re continuing to move in the right
direction.
Use The Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix (also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix) is a tool that helps employees prioritize their tasks. The matrix divides tasks into four quadrants based on importance (on the Y axis) and urgency (on the X axis).
In the top left quadrant, where both Urgent and Important meet, is your “Do” section. Tasks that land here require immediate attention because they are associated with a deadline or potential consequences. The bottom left quadrant is the “Delegate” area, where tasks are urgent but not important or pertinent to your skill set. As such, they can be handed off to another team member. At the top right, you’ll find tasks that are important but not urgent. You can “Schedule” these duties since they don’t have approaching deadlines but are still important to your overall goals and success.
Lastly, tasks that are neither important nor urgent, land in the bottom right “Don’t Do” quadrant. These to-do list items are distractions as they do not add value or push you closer to your objectives.
Live Your Best Life And Maximize Productivity As A Digital Nomad
The digital nomad lifestyle takes remote work to the next level, merging a life of travel and adventure with all the responsibilities of a full-time job. This ultramodern career path is defined by its flexibility and is highly desirable for those struck by wanderlust. However, to be successful in this position, you must be highly disciplined and approach the role with a clear plan and a side of adaptability.
Establishing a consistent routine in a space conducive to work is a great place to start. The right tools, from tech gear to project management apps, can bolster your productivity and work output. Finally, setting clear goals and priorities will provide you with a north star to follow while also identifying those projects that need your day-to-day attention. These remote work productivity tips will allow you to find balance as a digital nomad so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.
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