Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
Balance Work and Family Life on the Road
If it has always been your dream to travel the world with your family, then running your own business may be a clever way to make that happen. Today’s globally connected marketplace means you can often carry on your business while working away from home. However, you do not want your work to dominate your travel plans and rob you of treasured moments with your family. Here are some top tips to help you balance your workload and your family time while traveling the world.
Share Parenting Time
If you raise your children with a partner then make use of this valuable support. Ask them to take the children occasionally so you can focus and get work done. While you do not want to miss out on magical moments, this approach will allow you to be wholly present when you are with your children. There will be nothing worse than trying to enjoy a destination you have always dreamed of, only to be constantly pestered by work emails on the phone. Even allowing the work to percolate in the brain will mean you are not as attentive as you could be to the family. Take yourself away from them to concentrate on the work. Then, when you are with them you can switch the work off, and switch into family mode.
Make Use Of Every Journey
Sometimes road and rail journeys can be stunning, but often they can be monotonous and merely a method of getting from one breathtaking view to another. If the journey is dull, then grab a few travel games to keep the children entertained and use the time to focus on your work. If you can do emails and correspondence from your phone or laptop. If reading while traveling is difficult for you, then use the time to forward plan and consider new strategies or evaluate projects in your head. Every journey can be vital work time that will allow you to relax more once you reach your chosen location. If you want to relax in a sun lounger by the pool, do all the work you can when sitting on the uncomfortable train seat.
Use Forwarding Address Services
If your business requires you to handle packages or paperwork then you need to be able to receive those items wherever you are in the world. You do not want clients to grow annoyed having to look up where you are whenever they send a package, and you also do not want them to be paying extra to post to you. Use an online business address service that will set up an office address for your business in a premium location and will forward all mail to you. This way your business can still operate without the need to pay for office rental and someone to check on your mail while you are away. Cutting the costs of a physical office will also mean you can work less as you do not need to pay this ongoing expense every month.
Work Little And Often
Do not let work build up. If you do, you will start to dread the onslaught of emails every time you open up your inbox. Taking time to quickly check in on your emails will allow you to monitor relationships with clients and tackle any issues that may arise. You can set an auto-reply email that lets people know you will only check emails once a day, but if you do that, then try to stick to that commitment. You do not want people to grow frustrated due to your inability to reply. Checking your emails does not mean you need to get lost in the world of work, but it does mean you can touch base on anything urgent. Try to do this at the same time every day so it becomes routine and won’t disrupt your plans with your family.
Plan To Be Less Productive
Finally, remember that the whole reason you are traveling is to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of the world with your family. Do not expect to get as much work done as you would when you are at home. Take on fewer projects and fewer clients. If you try to work at the same level, then you may spend the entire trip inside hotel rooms or cafes logging into the wi-fi. Save a little money before traveling that can cushion your income. If you are traveling for a long time, then plan to take holiday weeks within that, where your full attention can be on relaxing and soaking in the experiences you and your family will have.
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