How Leading CEOs Free Up Time in Their Schedules for Travel
With all the responsibilities of trying to grow a business, taking time off to travel might not seem workable, but there are some simple ways to work around that.
By looking at some popular practices among successful industry leaders, business owners on the go can adopt some effective habits for leading companies while seeing the world.
Start batching work to maximize focus
We all know how easy it can be to become preoccupied with endless emails that come in each day and halting your work.
Wanting to reply periodically to each message can be a huge burden on your potential productivity.
A simple practice to help you free up more time is batching your email responses and planning them for only certain times of the day.
Pro Tips:
- Plan to handle emails during a specific part of your day
- Use a scheduling software for sending email (example of scheduling service: Right Inbox)
- Pause your emails so you can get more work done
Wesley Ward, VP of Marketing and Merchandising at Hausera says, “Designating certain times of day for both external and team communications and sticking to your schedule is vitally important in terms of time management. It can be difficult but pays dividends in terms of your output.”
This is also a practice that entrepreneur Tim Ferris suggests in his book, “The Four-Hour Work Week.”
He explains that this helps prevent us from chasing every query that gets tossed our way, and we’ll find that with a little tact, most clients will be receptive to the change with the understanding that they can contact you if anything is seriously urgent.
This is a particularly helpful practice for professionals on the go who might not have access to the internet or phone for longer periods of time.
By understanding that you will get to your clients and teammates messages at a certain time of day, you can work while traveling and your team and clients can expect to hear from you at certain times and plan communications more effectively.
Prioritize your tasks
Taking this avoidance strategy with work one step further, some successful entrepreneurs, including Warren Buffet, suggest listing your vital priorities and sticking to them.
Even when things go wrong, so you can focus all of your intent and energy in moving those projects across the finish line.
This can seem like a scary idea for professionals with so many responsibilities, but the same way we can become ineffective by chasing every email and proposition that comes our way, our productivity can be hindered by trying to handle all of your duties at once.
Sometimes, having the ability to travel can play a part in maximizing your creativity and effectiveness.
Remove distractions
By removing distractions or removing yourself from distracting settings, business owners might find they’re more effective in their roles.
Find your zen place
If the pressures of running your venture are weighing too heavily on you, go to your Zen place where you know you can focus and get the most work done.
For some, this is the comfort of their own home, while others thrive in a collaborative space. Location can have a massive impact on your productivity, so keep traveling until you find it!
David Adler, Founder and CEO of The Travel Secret, says, “This is also true for the time of day during which you are working. Many people like to take it easy in the mornings and tackle more complex tasks later in the day. I have found that completing those complex tasks in the morning helps keep my mind sharp for the rest of the day, while also filling me with a sense of accomplishment.”
It would be wise to take location, travel and timing into account while prioritizing the work that you want to execute on to succeed in your role while traveling.
Turn to virtual assistance
The use of virtual assistants from remote locations is becoming more and more popular whether you need help managing your schedule, you’re looking for a copywriter or you need help responding to customer queries.
Pro Tip: By taking advantage of virtual assistant services like Elance in America and Ask Sunday in India, you can get work done even when you’re not in front of the computer.
Digital tools like Zoom and Google Hangouts have become popular tools for professionals in the office and on the move.
Other popular virtual assistant softwares:
- Hubstaff
- Asana
- Virtual Staff Finder
- TaskRabbit
- VaVa Virtual
- Magic
Final Thoughts
With an open mind, a willingness to test new practices, a lot of business owners will find that they can free up enough time to accomplish more of their travel goals.
Knowing what digital tools are available can also be a huge help since so many of them are geared toward remote collaboration and instant communication.
So, keep your focus on your highest priorities, have confidence in your new processes and make the most of technology, and you may find that you’re able to grow your business while visiting the amazing travel destinations you’ve been hoping to see!
Author: Samuel Kaye
Samuel Kaye is a contributing editor for 365 Business Tips and writes about a variety of topics ranging from design strategy to business development.
His work has been featured on the ProFlowers Blog and ABC7.
