I’ve heard it a hundred times: “I could never work from home, I’d get too distracted.” Or, “I’d get bored.” Or some variation of people not knowing how to work well from home.
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Working remotely looks easy from an outside perspective, but there are plenty of mentality mind games that plague successful solopreneurs, especially with feeling productive. There are obvious solutions such as working from a public space or making sure I ‘get dressed for work’, but those ideas don’t change the big picture. Here are three ways that I’ve been able to overcome some of the solopreneurial struggles:
One of my workspaces last week
1. Limit screen time –
When I first started freelance writing, it was so easy to take my computer into my bedroom after writing or working all day. I’d fall asleep watching Netflix like I used to. When my alarm would go off in the morning, I’d stay in bed and switch from the Netflix tab to Microsoft Word or WordPress and go back at it.
Y’all. I had not even brushed my teeth before I started working. BAD IDEA. I had no boundaries between my work and my play, and I felt like I could never leave being ‘on’.
Now, I’ve started leaving my computer at my desk. No more TV in my room. Other tips to separate work and play are to mute apps when you’re ‘off-hours’, hide notifications on your phone, and do not answer work-related texts outside of the hours you’ve set for yourself.
Working in Vedauwoo National Forest – surprisingly I had service and the creative bug.
2. Create a schedule –
Hours you set for yourself, huh? YES. Perhaps the biggest mistake I made when deciding to be my own boss was writing a bunch on weekends and feeling like I constantly had to catch up. I was doing all the things, all the time and not getting anywhere.
Here’s what I did: I bought a planner. I started living by my Google Calendar. I stopped freaking out about when I was going to fit all of the things in because I gave myself time to do them and stopped multi-tasking all the time.
I have my gym classes, creative time, pitching time, posting time, working for other people time, working for me time, and even ‘get up and take a break’ time on my calendar. My theory is that if I can’t be accountable to my own schedule, then what can I be accountable to? Which leads me to my final lesson:
Quick documentation break on a press trip
3. Know when to stop –
I used to write a to-do list every morning on a whiteboard and erase things as I accomplished them. Then, I kept adding things to the whiteboard in the empty spaces. I never felt like I was accomplishing anything, and my list was always as long as the whiteboard allowed. This led to me staying at my desk for 12+ hours a day and going to bed wondering if I’d really moved the needle for myself.
Then, I gave myself permission to succeed.
I stopped erasing all the things I had accomplished, and simply did what I promised myself I’d do each day. As a freelancer, the workload I take on from other people is as finite as I choose for it to be. As a solopreneur, the list of things that I want to accomplish will never end. It’s my responsibility to separate my work and my life.
I’ll start with the end here: The biggest mistake people make when traveling for work is…
Over drinking.
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I drink, and there is typically no shortage of alcohol at work events. To add to that, my career was in IT and sales. Nothing lubricates a conversation like alcohol. However, I did not know that before I traveled for business the first time. Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones that never made a huge work mistake while under the influence, but it is because I had mentors give me advice before I traveled.
The best pieces of advice I’ve gotten when it comes to drinking at a work event are:
When people order their seconds, you order your first. Your first drink should be water. Afraid of someone calling you out? Repeat after me: “I’ll have water to start.”
Never be the drunkest person at the party. Everyone remembers the person that made a fool of themselves. Don’t be that person. If you’re considering another drink, order it to your hotel room. If you don’t know when to stop, don’t start.
As one of my close friends said in his hour of regret, “Just because happy hour is free doesn’t mean there isn’t a cost.”
That’s it, friends. I could pepper you with stories from people that I know, but the point has been made. Don’t get hammered at work. That is all.
This post is one of a series of tips & tricks for business travel. For related posts, see:
Have you ever met someone and it seems like they’re always setting off on a business trip? You think to yourself, ‘they have this business travel thing down! I’m going to be like that someday!’
The good news is, you can be! You’re going to rock your first work trip, and then you’re going to keep traveling, and eventually be an even better traveler than that person.
There is one thing that you can do to make sure that your work trip goes well, and that is to ask questions before you go. This will allow you to start your work traveling on the right foot. However, knowing which questions to ask can be tough, so I made it easier.
Questions you’ll want to know the answer to are:
What is and isn’t covered by the company? such as:
Lyft rides to the airport
Lounge access at the airport
Seat upgrades
Daily meal budget
Can they extend a trip and maximize personal travel?
What is expected of them while at the work event, trade show, or client meeting? Are we allowed to take freebies from vendors?
Can I come home with extra money in my Uber account?
Can I keep the money I don’t spend on my food budget?
How will you track expenses or be reimbursed?
Who is in charge of my bookings?
If you have these questions or others, there are a couple of places to go to have them answered.
First, refer to your intranet at work. There is likely a set of policies around business travel
Then, if you still have questions, ask your supervisor. They’ve likely traveled before and will be able to let you in on the company’s preferences.
Ask the person you’re traveling with. Chances are, they’ve done this before as well and will also give you a feel for what traveling with them will be like.
If this is your first trip, first time going to a new location, or first time traveling with a new company, you should ask all of these questions before leaving to ensure that you are well supported on your trip. Plus, if your meal allowance is higher than you thought, it could be a perfect excuse to try something off the dessert menu 🙂
Of course, you’re asking these questions to avoid making any mistakes while on the road. To avoid making mistakes while packing, check out the following articles:
As a carry-on gal, it’s easy for me to say that you should do the same. Whether you’re looking to pack like a minimalist or just lighten your load, know that it is possible to take a carry on for nearly any trip.
You’ve seen me go to Panama for five days with only a drawstring and Southeast Asia for 8 weeks with only a backpack. I know it can be done, but I know it isn’t for everyone.
This was what I packed for 10 days in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra.
This begs the question, should you check a bag, or challenge yourself to travel with less? Here’s the perks and pitfalls of each option:
When you carry on, you have to carry all your things with you through the airport. The perk is that everything is easy to find and compact.
When you check your bags, you risk the airlines losing your bag. The perk is that you can bring more things with you.
Of course, you could always keep a day’s worth of necessities in your carry on, and leave the rest at the mercy of the airlines as well
All the clothes I took for 10 days in Hondouras, El Salvador, and Guatemala
At the end of the day, I’m team carry-on. Here are a few tips for fitting everything into a carry-on:
Bring multi-purpose items – You can and should wear staple items more than once. For example, nobody will notice if you wear the same black pants more than once.
On that note, wear the same thing every day – No, not the same exact thing! I am one of those ‘If the shoe fits, buy it in every color’ types. Same goes for my pants. I have the same pair of LOFT pants in 4 colors, and the same style of shirt in 5 patterns. When I pack, I know that I can pair any of those shirts with any of the pants and the outfit will work with the same pair of shoes. I do NOT bring all of those on trips with me!
Shoes take up too much space – Here’s my theory: One pair of black shoes, one pair of white shoes. Everything you wear should match each other.
3 oz bottles and samples are your best friend – That perfume sample you got last year? Now is the time to stick it in the toiletry case. Save a ton of room by putting your shampoo, face wash, etc, in smaller containers. Old contact cases are great for bringing a small amount of moisturizer. As for makeup – you do not need to be photoshoot ready in the jungles of Vietnam. Leave most of it at home!
Laundry might be a cost-effective option. Whether you’re going to Disney as a family, Southeast Asia as a backpacker, outsourcing laundry while you travel might be much cheaper than paying for checked bags.
Leave maybe at home – If you are looking at an item thinking that you might wear it, leave it at home. Thinking of bringing two dresses for one event? Nope. Make that decision before you leave.
What do you say, could you go on a trip with just a carry-on? What is the longest amount of time you’d go with just a carry on?
This post is one of a series of tips & tricks for business travel. For related posts, see:
Traveling for business brings unique packing challenges. Whether you’re a first-timer or looking to be a better packer, I’ve included a list of what I bring in my business travel carry-on.
Know a woman who will be traveling for business for the first time next year? This list is full of great gift ideas!
And yes, it ALL fits in a carry on!
Luggage
A backpack like the one above (It has wheels and fits into the carry-on compartment!
One blazer or sweater in case conference rooms are chilly
One pair of pants for every two days
Enough underwear to last a month 😉
Workout clothing if your hotel will have a gym
‘Plane clothes’
One set of ‘dinner clothes’ – likely a pair of jeans and an acceptable top, but you may want to stay in your work shirt
One extra shirt and pair of pants, just in case you’re like me and spill your morning coffee on yourself
Two pairs of shoes – both must be comfortable! I recommend the LifeStrides brand; they are practical, comfortable, and cute.
Reminder: Pack things that can be used in multiple ways. Wear comfortable shoes during the day that you can also wear to dinner, and don’t be afraid to rewear a classic item such as a black blazer.
Phew! The list is long, but making good impressions is paramount! What else would you add to this list?
What do you say, could you go on a trip with just a carry-on? What is the longest amount of time you’d go with just a carry on?
This post is one of a series of tips & tricks for business travel. For related posts, see:
I took a solo road trip and spent less traveling for six weeks than I would have if I’d had a home base. Yes, traveling CAN be less expensive than staying put. Here’s how.
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Let me start by saying: I’m not a numbers person. I have a lazy budgeting method for a reason. When it comes to numbers, I hide. I round up. I ignore.
It’s not just about money; I do this for all kinds of numbers. I budget exclusively so that I can travel, have no idea what I weigh, and use clothing items instead of temperatures to describe the weather. Not a numbers girl.
However, I quit my job with a number in mind of what I could spend per month to sustain myself for a year. Therefore, I have to keep tabs on what I’m doing and spending. The following numbers might not be 100% accurate (see the first paragraph), but this is the approximate total of what I spent and experienced over the last 5 weeks of my solo road trip around the United States.
A really mediocre drawing of the route that I took
Solo Road Trip: Cost of Gas, etc
67+ hours of driving
4,765 total miles driven
My Honda gets 33mpg hwy
About $370 spent on gas
Got an oil change before I left for about $55
Thought: this would be less if it weren’t a solo road trip and if I had friends to travel with!
Solo Road Trip: Cost of Lodging
Amarillo – CouchSurfing $0
Denver – stayed with friends $0
Wyoming – Solo camped 3 nights $30
1 night in a hostel in Jackson $50
Bozeman – 2 nights in a hostel in Bozeman $30
Billings – Conference hotel with a shared room for 5 nights – $140
Minneapolis – stayed with friends $0
Iowa – stayed with family $0
Kansas City – stayed with friends $0
Total cost of lodging: $250
Solo Road Trip: Cost of Food
Grocery run #1: $47
Grocery run #2: 53
Other food such as snacks at gas stations: Budgeted $6/day or about $200, but didn’t spend it
Dining out and drinks with friends: probably about $600 over 6 weeks (my family and friends treated a bit, and we did lots of at-home fun)
Beer runs: $150
Total food and beer bill: about $1000
Other Fun Things
10 States visited (TX, CO, WY, MT, ND, MN, IA, IL, KS, MO)
2 other states crossed (NM, OK) but no stops so they don’t ‘count’
2 side trips to NE Iowa and Wisconsin with family
Returning to the ‘not a numbers person’ thing, let’s say my car was in 13 states total
13 different beds/couches/tents
37 days away from home
2 weeks with family
5 nights in hotels
4 National Parks/forests visited $80 park pass
Total Solo Road Trip Cost Breakdown:
$1693 spent, plus some petty cash here and there
Averages to about $42/day including gas, lodging, food, fun, etc.
Doesn’t count the $340 plate ticket I purchased for later because I’ll pay it off with points
About $1100 on living expenses at home such as insurance, rent, etc, but not including investment/retirement accounts
Total home expenses + travel spend – money earned = $2180
Getting some work done while on a press trip
What the Numbers Mean
I’m still deciding what I’ve taken away from these numbers. My first thoughts are this:
If I didn’t have expenses at home such as rent, my loss would be significantly less. I’ve run these numbers several times over the last few years, and it’s what’s led me to decide that I’ll take next year off of having a home base. I can build my business and brand while on the road, thus marrying my living and travel budgets.
I spent 37 days traveling on less than $3000 – and could have done it for less. Even though I’m in the negative, I knew I would be and planned for it. Still, even if I didn’t make a little bit of money, I’d come in below $3k. This comes to less than $36k/year, which is a lot less than most people I know live on. Not bad, right?
Additionally, these numbers help me to realize what I spend in the US – one of the more expensive places that I spend time. If I spend time in cheaper places, I’ll have lower expenses.
Finally, it proves that I can work while travelingand that I can increase what I make on the road every month until I find a surplus. To that note, I have enough set aside to last me for a year, but every dollar made while traveling extends the amount of runway that I have before going back to the corporate world. My goal is to never have to go back, and that’s why I’m working to build my income up now rather than just traveling aimlessly.
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Where would you go if you had a month to spend on the road?
