Productivity On The Move

by Paul Mah / Jan 8

I am a digital nomad, and have been so since I started doing freelance writing for a number of IT publications.  I also do some consultation, as well as giving classes at a local college.  The various commitments, meetings and deadlines have conspired to keep me on the move, with the majority of my deliveribles in digital form, and involving the Internet.

Today, I share three tips which have enabled me to be both productive and efficient, which in turn leads to motivation to keep at what I am doing.

Be task-orientated

It is very easy for the connected digital nomad to be distracted by emails or instant messages (IMs) that are not relevant to the particular task at hand.  While it often doesn’t take much time to respond to a single IM or email, a whole series of them within a span of an hour or two can be a serious hindrance to getting work done.  In addition, IMs don’t normally end at one, and could easily escalate into a full-blown conversation before you know it.

The simplest method not to be distracted would be not to open your email and IM client for unrelated tasks.  For many digital nomads though, doing that might not be an option.  In such a scenario, a digital nomad might do well to only read – and respond – to new IMs and emails upon the completion of a task rather than every single time a new IM comes in.  Big tasks can be split into smaller chunks for this purpose; imposing a time-frame between checks can also work.

Some productivity gurus even go as far as to advocate replying emails only once or twice a day.  Personally, I view that as being a little extreme, though it does underscore the importance that the digital nomad be completely task orientated in order to be productive.

Be properly equipped

Nothing is more annoying than wasting precious time trying to locate tools to complete what should be a simple task.  An example would be not having a flash drive to transfer a large file to someone who is physically with you.  Such a scenario could well lead to a digital nomad attempting to email the files out – not suitable for files more than a few megabytes in size, or trying to use the mass storage modes of smartphones instead – which might not support the fastest USB transfer speeds.

Personally, I invested in a wireless mouse I bring along everywhere with my laptop, as well as a mouse pad – so that I can work even on glass or highly reflective tables.  Other peripherals that will stand you in good stead might include various retractable cables, and the ubiquitous flash drive of course.

In addition, I have also learned not to rely on power points at places where I am “staking out” or assume the availability of Internet connectivity at wireless hotspots.  While a power socket or a wireless Internet connection is always welcome, I do ensure that I have sufficient battery life left in my laptop for the work at hand.  I also carry along a 3G wireless data modem in case the Internet at the wireless hotspot is down.  Indeed, buying a spare laptop battery might be something a digital nomad might want to seriously consider.

It is in this context that the non-gaming digital nomad should forget about a separate desktop rig at home or in the office.  Simply working off the same laptop will result in tremendous savings in time not spent having to synchronize files, data, or bookmarks around the place.  If your laptop is an ultraportable, or even a netbook, you can consider acquiring an additional LCD monitor for your home or office as an easy way to get a larger display.

Finally, one more thing I’ve found about working on the go is this: Not every place is comfortable for you to plonk down for long hours of work.  The ambient temperature, the chill of the air-conditioning, the level of the background noise, even the glare of the sun or lighting all conspire to maintain or wreck your productivity.  Obviously, this is irrelevant if you are out of town, or travel to places that you are not familiar with.  However, it does makes sense to go to places where you have been before, and are comfortable with.

Learn to take a break

As mentioned earlier, I do a substantial amount of work as a freelance writer.  I have contributed to IT-related sites such as TechRepublic and Ars Technica, and am also the editor of a few other on-line publications.  As a well-equipped digital nomad, the temptation is to keep working.  It could be due to the slippage of deadlines due to insufficient focus, attempting to take on more work than is realistic or sheer unadulterated passion.

Whatever the case, the conclusion I have arrived at is this: there is always more work to be done.

I have learned to allocate time specifically for leisure, as well as prioritizing time for family and loved ones as I plan my workload and time.  Obviously, being single and young helps, but nobody stays that way forever right?

There is a Chinese saying that goes along the line of, “Rest now, in order to go the greater distance.”  I have found it to be true in my case.  Rather than staring blanking at the computer for an hour and producing little due to exhaustion, why not take a short break, and come back to complete hours worth of work at twice or even thrice the speed?

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