Summer of freelancing: how you can leverage travel and work

In today's world, the traditional 9-to-5 model of work is not the only path to career success. Everybody likes to complain, but let's face it - finding a work-life balance may be a tricky ideal to maintain- but when your work is done remotely and your lifestyle leads you all over the world, that balance can be even more challenging to achieve.

With advancements in technology and the rise of remote work opportunities, more professionals are embracing the digital nomad lifestyle, where they can combine travel and work seamlessly - a dream for those that like to travel! However, finding (and managing!) a job that fits your personality, goals, and adventurous lifestyle is no easy feat.  

But worry no more - you can leverage travel and work to create a fulfilling and enriching experience that breaks free from the constraints of a conventional office setting.

Define what YOU want

Define what you want to get out of your travels — and out of your job. Working remotely enables you to choose your own adventure and design the types of work, style, and work-life balance that serve you. When exploring what your remote lifestyle should look like, ask yourself:

• What would be my ideal day-to-day work life? How does it feel, and what does it look like?
• How often do I want to sit, stand, or move during the workday? Are there exercise activities I want to incorporate?
• Do I work better in a quiet area without distractions, or do I need to be where the good vibes are? Do I work better alone or with a collaborative world around me?
• What environments support multitasking? When would I benefit from more focused, Zen surroundings?
• What’s my ideal balance between phone calls, Zoom calls, and Slack?

The more well-thought-out your own goals are, the less friction you’re likely to encounter when structuring your days as they provide clarity and focus on what truly matters to you. When you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you can easily identify the tasks and actions necessary to move closer to your objectives, eliminating unnecessary distractions, and enabling you to prioritize and structure your days efficiently.

Time to structure

As a telecommuter, that responsibility (and your itinerary) is now fully in your hands and should be considered before you book plane tickets. Know where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing the whole time you’re traveling. When making your own plan, take some time to study your daily agenda and mentally map out where you’ll need to be and when.

If this sounds like a lot of planning, that’s because it is. Bleisure isn’t about making your work life feel easier — it often creates new challenges. But that extra work is also allowing you to travel and create new experiences while maintaining your full-time career. You might think this globetrotting lifestyle will make your life harder -but you will gain the freedom to chase your athletic pursuits, see the world, and cultivate fascinating friendships.

In addition, don’t let time pass you by without doing the things you always dreamed of doing while traveling. Especially when you are planning to be in a destination for several months, it’s easy to feel like you will have plenty of time to do everything you’ve wanted to do. However, time tends to quickly fill itself up if you aren’t proactive about making plans and booking experiences. You’ll be feeling regretful if several months pass, you didn’t get to do the things you wanted, you’re getting ready to leave, and you’re wondering where the time went.

Best to keep a schedule  

Stay focused and on top of your work by structuring your days and weeks. By defining the amount of time you need to work and keeping track of your deadlines, you can also block off time to explore without feeling stressed. Remember it’s also important to schedule time for self-care and for exercise because doing so will prevent you from burning out and will make you a more productive worker.

Giving yourself plenty of time to work ahead of your deadlines will alleviate a considerable amount of stress, especially while traveling. The factor with the most influence on how you remember a trip is how you felt and your mood while traveling, and being stressed about work or deadlines can take all the enjoyment out of your travel experience. Working ahead of schedule is also especially important for someone working remotely because you can give yourself more time to handle unexpected hiccups that tend to occur while traveling, like having to replace electronics or having to sit on the tarmac due to a delayed flight.

Shoot for the stars, aim for the moon

Track your progress, you don't know how helpful seeing tangible results reinforces your commitment and encourages you to continue striving for success. Also, celebrate your milestones - this continuous improvement not only enhances your ability to achieve your goals but also enriches your life in various ways. When you celebrate that achievement, it's like adding fuel to your motivation tank! You'll feel even more energized and ready to take on the next challenge that life throws your way!

We all need a confidence boost now and then, right? When you celebrate milestones, you're basically saying to yourself, "Hey, I did it! I'm awesome!" And guess what? You totally are! Embracing your achievements boosts your self-belief and reminds you that you're capable of achieving greatness.

Time 2 HYVE...

With summer already halfway through, it's not too late to start your digital and remote freelancing journey - after all this is the balance you want to be striking. HYVE V2.5 came out during the last couple of weeks, improving collaboration at all levels.

The new features enhance the collaborative experience, having introduced new options to monetize your talents, such as the Digital Items section. If you have not started freelancing just yet, then it's clearly time - join HYVE now!