OPTED Magazine

After my debacle last weekend that stopped productivity in its tracks, I learned a lot of valuable lessons that are a perfect opportunity to share as a list for ways to both enhance productivity when you travel and to capitalize on your travels to improve your life.  These concepts can be very different, but overall these tips can enhance your travel experience.

1. Portable reading – whether you are traveling by car, train, or plane, having portable reading material is essential.  While I don’t recommend reading while driving, if you’re a passenger, it’s a good option.  If you have a thirst for knowledge, a backlog of books or magazines, or even a lengthy report waiting for your eyes to review, means a prime opportunity to digest the material as you make your way to your destination.  And depending on the nature of your trip, the reading material may be perfect for a cab ride, an afternoon at the pool, or pre-bedtime routine.
2. Unexpected exercise – don’t let your trip disrupt your fitness routine.  Walk instead of cab, take stairs instead of escalators or elevators, and carry or roll luggage instead of purchasing a cart.  It all adds up.  It make take more time and seem like negative productivity, but building in some calorie burning during routine parts of travel can eliminate guilt or the need to schedule a run during your trip.
3. Research amenities – hotels and airlines each have different amenities that can aid your productivity.  When you’re planning your trip, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of opting for different companies.  For instance, select an airline with internet access so you can stay plugged in, or choose a hotel with a business center that includes printing capabilities.
4. Offline email – imagine if you could respond to 50 emails during a flight or train ride so that when internet access resumes your email is ready to go and send out in bulk.  When you resume internet access your email is all dealt with and you’ll have a built in block of time before responses come in where you can shift your time to other tasks.  If you’re a Gmail user, this feature is already available and a killer tool to take advantage of.
5. Batch phone calls for key times – I’ve written about the concept of batching tasks before, and phone calls are an important one when traveling.  You can’t make calls on planes and don’t be “that guy” spending an entire train ride gabbing on the phone.  Force yourself to plan times for phone calls.  If you’re on a family vacation, wake up half an hour early and sit in the lobby and make calls.  If you’re on a business trip, take a walk around the terminal or use time in the cab to the airport to zip through returning calls from your voicemail.
6. Strategic meals – business trips can make meal time a hassle.  Trying to squeeze in lunch or dinner in the middle of a hectic day can be an ordeal and a time waster.  If your hotel has a fridge and microwave in the room, a trip to the grocery store on a multi-day trip can be a productive use of your time.  Purchase snacks or small meals that you can consume in a hotel room and take advantage of free food at your place of lodging.
7. Ignore everything you just read – imagine a three hour plane flight where you’re legitimately and excusably cut off from the rest of the world (minus your fellow travelers).  It’s YOUR time: time for listening to your favorite music, catching up on sleep or a great book, or planning ahead to have podcasts or DVD’s to enjoy.  Relish in the ability to be unplugged and have no alternative but to spend time disconnected from incoming communications.  Being productive is more than just completing mandatory tasks.  It’s also about being productive with your time to participate in things that you enjoy.

Travel comes in all shapes and sizes: short, medium and long trips.  Travel can be personal or business, and you may be alone or with family or work colleagues.  Either way, you have opportunities to transform your travel experience as productive time away from home.

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