Oh, Prague, how I love thee. Because relatively few houses and sites were destroyed in World War II, much of its old-world charm remains. The home of Kafka is very much the same as it was in the 14th Century. So much beauty. Old Town. The Charles Bridge. The Astronomical Clock. The Estates Theatre (where Mozart first performed Don Giovanni). Fantastically designed and well-kept buildings appear wherever you look.

But equally as fantastic as all of that, it is a great environment for digital nomads like us. Wi-Fi is prolific. The mobile networks are better than average for Eastern Europe. Most places don't care if you stick around for a while. There's one Starbucks (for those "Dammit, I need an iced coffee!" moments). And as an added bonus, pivo (beer) is cheaper than coffee is (most bars also have free Wi-Fi). I shot a little update from the streets of Old Town for you.

It is perhaps not surprising to learn that employees can struggle to work effectively during the summer, when there is the distraction of warm or even hot summer days, accompanied in many regions by high humidity that makes for uncomfortably sticky afternoons, evenings and nights.

For instance, British workers are traditionally less productive during the summertime, according to a new study. One in four employees said that they only worked to full capacity for one day and then coasted through the rest of the week. In the U.S., 25 percent of office workers felt their productivity decreased in the summertime, with arguments often ensuing as to what the optimum workplace temperature should be.

A number of factors have been identified as contributing to the problem. People understandably want to take advantage of the better weather. Going out for a business lunch al fresco in a local restaurant or cafe, perhaps accompanied by a glass of beer or wine (rather than opting for a takeout or sandwich to eat at one's desk), can lead to a more soporific afternoon with a corresponding reduction in an appetite for work.

Similarly, the option of meeting friends earlier in the evening for drinks or attending a ball game or outside music concert can also compete for employees' attention, while during winter months they may opt to spend a little longer completing a task or project. Furthermore, many workers elect to take periods of time off for vacations during this time of year, further exacerbating the situation.

Stuffy offices caused by poor ventilation or a lack of good air conditioning can also cause people to struggle to keep cool, leading to the understandable drawback of poor concentration on work. Human beings tend to perform best in a very limited range of environmental conditions (70-72°F being optimum) - even a slight deviation outside these limits can have an adverse impact on performance.

One option that could help resolve many of these challenges is to provide employees with the flexibility to get their work done when they feel they are best able to - perhaps earlier or later in the day. Many Mediterranean countries have long recognized that noon to mid-afternoon is often uncomfortable for work - hence the introduction of the siesta.

With the increasingly widespread adoption of mobile devices and smartphones, it is even easier for employees to remain connected and work from anywhere as they try to keep cool. By adopting a similar (though less formal and institutionalized) approach, employees would have the freedom to work during cooler parts of the day, take a longer lunch, enjoy a cold beer and even have a swim, knowing they are on track to get the job done - while still having fun and enjoying the summer sun!

Photo Credit: cam.riley

I've always been an animal lover. Growing up, I had a family life full of pets; at one point when I was a kid, our house had a cat, a dog, a gerbil, a guinea pig and 6 aquariums full of fish. Old habits die hard, because today my husband and I have a dog and 3 cats.

I do much of my work from home, so having these furry creatures around me while I'm working is a natural occurrence. There have been studies done about pets in the workplace, which show that having an animal around, such as a dog, a cat or fish, can have a calming effect on the work environment. At the same time, having pets around all day long can sometimes present challenges, too. Over time, I've learned some ways to cope with having my furry friends around while I work in my home office. Here's what I've found.

Keyboard Cats

It never fails that the minute I sit down to get something done at the computer, one or more of my cats will decide that's the time when they need attention. They will attempt to hop on the desk, lay on my keyboard, toss papers out of baskets and generally do what they can to distract me from what I'm trying to get done. As if it's not bad enough that we already have so many distractions from our work, some days I really don't want a persistent kitty vying for my attention either.

Sometimes, shutting the door to the office or putting them in a separate closed-off room will solve the problem, but many cats don't care for being locked out or locked up. Closing the door will only make them howl and scratch, which is often worse than having them in the room! I've found the best trick is to have plenty of catnip-infused toys handy. Then, when kitty gets to be too much, divert her attention with a bit of playtime. The catnip is very important here - no kitty on Earth can resist a long nap immediately after a good catnip high.

Dog Days

Dogs are a great addition to the home office environment, too. But inevitably, the minute I hop onto a conference call or start recording a podcast or lecture, my energetic pup will decide it's playtime. He finds the squeakiest toy he has and proceeds to growl and snort and have a grand old time, leaving me apologizing to my clients or re-recording my show. Oh, and of course at the same time, the dog down the street will cross before the front window, and my dog will proceed to bark his head off for a while as well.

Again, putting puppy in his kennel or in a separate room while I'm on my call is one way to deal with this, but not all dogs are willing to go quietly. The best solution I've found is to make sure you get your dog out for some good, solid exercise every day for at least 45 minutes, preferably in the morning. This could be a run at the park or a good brisk walk around the neighborhood, but the goal here is to tire your pup out to the point where he spends most of the day sleeping instead of wanting to play with you. A tired dog is a happy dog, and a happy dog makes a happy owner (and happy clients and podcasting co-hosts, too!).

Something Fishy

The good thing about fish is they don't make noise. 'Nuff said.

I find that my life and my work are enriched greatly by having pets around. As much as I like to avoid having cats snoozing on my keyboard, I do like having them curled up in my lap while I work. And I love having my dog sleeping peacefully at my feet. Animals create a positive energy and a peaceful environment in which to work. But if you're going to have pets around, make sure that they have everything they need to be calm and happy - and ultimately you'll be calm and happy, too.

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

Have you ever dreamed of a cross-country trip? Taking your time to go from state to state, meeting people, seeing the sites and...working? That's right, working!

On May 15th my Mom and I began our cross-country trip from Santa Rosa, CA to Atlanta, GA, for a cousin's wedding and then we'll be continuing our adventure north to Boston, MA, for my brother's wedding. (That's more than 3,888 miles!) Armed with my laptop, a wireless card, an iPad, my cell phone, GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC, my plan is to workshift along the way, mixing business with pleasure! (Disclosure: I work for GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC.) 

While I imagine the sites and experiences will be incredible, the trip actually came about because my mom has a lung disease and can no longer fly. While that may be the reason we're taking the trip, it provided a great opportunity for me to combine my love of travel with my ability to work from anywhere.

Having been a full time teleworker the past four years, I'm accustom to the challenges (and advantages) of working outside the office. However those won't compare to what's in store while travelling over rivers, mountains and through the woods. With intermittent internet and phone access, I will need to adapt to a work environment that is in constant flux. My experience will no doubt teach me new skills and I hope it will give you some ideas too.

We have a general plan laid out with some stops in mind but other than that, we'd love your input on the best places to stay/see/eat - the more random the better! And who knows - your suggestion might just inspire an impromptu Meet & Tweet!

Here's a snapshot of our route. You can also view it (and its updates) here:

I'll also be vlogging the trip, my experiences and workshifting lessons on YouTube, sharing photos and snippets on Facebook and tweeting out tips.

Have you ever driven across country or taken on a big workshifting trip? I'd love your tips, suggestions and lessons learned! Leave them in the comments below or tweet them out using the hashtag #WSRhonda!

You might want to steer clear of this post if you were looking for procrastination busters! I'm in the mood for levity and fun, and having done a bit of self-observation this morning of how I've actively avoided doing all but one of the things on my to do list, I thought I'd take it a step further and share my slothful seven ways of procrastinating.

7 Procrastination Techniques as a Workshifter

1. Tarrying in Holiday Daydream Heaven
   There are cottage sites to search, skiing holidays to plan (and honestly, it's soooo complicated, getting all the childcare coordinated, the lift passes, the right chalet, comparing snow conditions in different resources: someone's gotta do it). I generally plan (but never book) a short break to Disneyland Paris about twice a year; this is a great way to waste at least 40 minutes or so. There's nothing quite like it for lifting the soul, especially on a gloomy, rainy November day like today. Hmmm, I wonder if there are any airline sales on at the moment?
   
   
2. Lingering around Twitter
   Actually, no, this doesn't count as procrastinating. As any self respecting workshifter knows, social media is an essential part of any decent 21st century marketing and business development toolkit, isn't it? So it's actually a productive use of my time and is bound to lead somewhere jolly profitable. Gosh, have you seen what @B_List_Celebrity_Bimbo has just tweeted?
   
   
3. Dilly-dallying in the kitchen
   There's something about making my kitchen look like a minimalist designer show home that is a critical part of my pre-writing ritual. I'm not quite sure why cleaning the kitchen surfaces nurtures the creative writing process, particularly as I don't write in the kitchen, but one mustn't stifle the creative process, must one?
   
   
4. Dawdling on eBay
   One tiny thought: "I need a slug trap" or "I wonder if I can find a pair of cashmere socks at a bargain price" and I'm off. The beauty of eBay is that I can spend hours researching the best slug trap, and then remember at the point of sale that we need a new roof rack for the car. There are endless things I need from eBay. So much stuff, so little time. Well, maybe just another 15 minutes.
   
   
5. Prolonged Email Culling
   No matter how many different systems I try to implement to deal like with emails, they always seem to conquer me. It's an endless war, and I rarely win a battle. I end up with a tonne of those emails that I'm not quite ready to answer, that I didn't know how to answer or that I know would just take too much brainpower, effort or finger tapping to answer. So I leave them.
   
   However, given the choice between the work I'm supposed to be doing and culling those emails, I'll get the email scythe out every time. After all, once I've culled the emails, I'll create so much mental energy and I'll be able to concentrate fully on the task that I've been putting off. Surely this works every time for you too?
   
   
6. Frittering away the day doing anything else
   Today I have been highly industrious and conscientious: I have researched and found a watch repairers that can fully refurbish my old Gucci watch at a reasonable price, packaged said watch and had a conversation with said watch repairer. I have packaged up 3 books that I'm swapping via the book swap site www.readitswapit.com (another highly recommended place for procrastinators, but do try to find people to swap with who have very LONG book lists) and turned the innards of the Hallowe'en pumpkin into a very nice pumpkin soup. Really impressive, eh! It's just unfortunate that my business is not as a soupmaker, a watch seller or a book reviewer. Getting everything else (ANYTHING ELSE) done is definitely one of the best procrastination techniques. At least with this one I'm doing something vaguely useful. At least if I'm not working on the business I can feel like a Domestic Goddess and Gold Star Homemaker.
   
   
7. Moseying around Amazon
   Those darned clever people at Amazon with their nifty tracking robots that know me SOOOO well. They have perfected the art of piquing my curiosity and greed for just the right book, CD or general household appliance that will definitely complement the book, CD or general household appliance that I bought from Amazon last week. Those dastardly Amazon emails with their siren calling "50% off these books that you might be interested in..." mesmerize me and compel me into clicking that alluring link into Amazontopia. And without doubt, that book on "Get it Done Now" currently on offer at 50% off is JUST the thing to stop me procrastinating....




When you're in a mood to procrastinate, what are your traps?

Photo Credit: Emilie Ogez

It is amazing how quickly this year has flown by. The other day my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas. What?! Is it the holiday season already?

That being true, I want to go over a few holiday gift ideas for the workshifter. Please leave any of your ideas in the comments section (maybe you can help me out). Anyway, here are a few gifts that caught my eye.

ZOMM: This cool device is a leash for your phone. You will never lose your phone again. This gadget has a proximity alarm that sounds if you deviate too far. When you're a digital nomad, this could save you from leaving your phone at a coffee shop in Sri Lanka. It also serves as a hands-free device and is equipped with a panic button (which can be used for personal safety or to get you out of a pointless meeting). Approximately $75 range.

Wi-Fi Detector Shirt: Yep, a shirt that detects Wi-Fi signals. I hate it when I expect there to be a wireless signal only to fire up the laptop and discover zero signal. All you have to do with this baby is walk into the room and you'll know whether it's hot or not. Approximately $20 range.

Cloud Storage/Sharing: For anyone who has a computer with valuable information on it, these services are a great gift. For workshifters, these services are an amazing gift. I can't impress upon you the terror and pain that comes with losing important data. On the plus side is the peace and joy that comes with knowing your information is safe and easily shared or accessible. The more you travel the more you appreciate cloud services. There are a number of great services that you can choose from based on preferences and needs. Some of them include: Box.net, Dropbox, Mozy, & Carbonite. Approximately $5-$20 range monthly/for a minimum of 5GB. **A few other semi-related cloud based services that make great gifts are a premium Evernote account or GoToMyPC.

LiveScribe: Is it a pen or a computer? Both. Livescribe is more than a writing utensil. It is a pen that allows you to record what you write and then upload it to a computer later. As much as we use a keyboard to punch words into a program, most of us still begin with a notepad and pen. Here is a great bridge for getting the words on your page into your computer. Livescribe also has a digital recorder built into it for good measure. Approximately $75 - $130+ range.

Vans Custom Shoes: When your office is anywhere, wear the shoes that are "off the wall." The iconic shoe company allows you to build your own shoe. Nothing says personal brand like customized Old Skools or Eras. And if Vans isn't your style check out Converse to make your own pair of Chuck's or JP's.

The holidays will be here before you know it. Don't get caught waiting until the midnight hour to buy the workshifter you love, mildly like, or feel obligated to buy a gift for, a present. What is on your gift list?

Photo Credit: di_the_huntress

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road --- Henry Ward Beecher

According to Harvard Medical School laughter and humor are an important part of our lives. "Once a daily with gusto" is possibly good for your health. Laughter can relieve tension and stress, and boost the immune system. They also cite that laughter and humor "can be a tonic for the brain."

As a workshifting consultant and coach, I am keenly aware that a sense of humor is an essential ingredient in my ability to manage and succeed in working with people, projects. A sense of humor, combined with a deep breath, can often help me deal with work that can routinely involves complex topics and situations.

When working with leaders around the world, I am able to notice their inclusiveness of others, their emotional intelligence, AND their sense of humor. Some have the ability to make difficult situations seem "OK," and are able to motivate others with their sense of commitment combined with a sense of humor.

A friend and mentor who is a CEO of large international organization continues to make me smile. She is smart, passionate, and giving, AND has a great sense of humor about herself, and situations. Our periodic "Diva" breakfast meetings always leave me thinking, and smiling.

After a recent difficult project, a colleague and I went to dinner and shared our reflections about the day. I remember the good sushi, the mediocre wine, and the wonder laughter about our day.

I am grateful for my "real life" friends, and those from Twitter and Facebook who post links, videos, stories and comments with the hope that we might laugh or at least smile at some point in our day. I frequently find myself laughing at a post or text message from a friend, and acknowledging the wonders of the serendipity of the timing.

Recently in one of my Facebook status updates, I questioned whether I was on the show from my past ---"Candid Camera." One situation after the other had me almost laughing OUT LOUD. Clearly there was a lesson to be learned, or a good episode to be filmed.

The "Candid Camera" question becomes semi-philosophical. Can all of these situations REALLY be happening? AND YET...I survived. THAT day is over, and there have been many more after that day, with more moments for pausing, and laughter.

I have written other places about some of my wonderful early childhood memories of leaning against my mother, and listening to the hum of her voice. I can vividly remember the safety and comfort of being in her lap and listening to her voice. The sound of her laughter was even better. To this day, my mother likes to laugh, and even laughs at her own jokes...She often reminds me to laugh.

When I started writing this post, I remembered scene from the movie Mary Poppins "I Love to Laugh". As an adult, I look at the scene and think about with whom can I most identify? Would I be the person trying to be serious? Or, would I be the person trying to laugh the most?

Many people comment on the infectious sounds of children's laughter. Their giggling, laughing, and enjoying of the sometimes basic aspects of life can often change our mood of adult seriousness --- within seconds.

I am getting better at laughing at myself with compassion. I know that it not only helps make things better --- but now I will remind myself that it is healthy for me as well.

Have you had a good laugh today?

Photo Credit: chris.huggins

It's never a good time to take a vacation. There's always a reason to wait until next month, next quarter, next year... Eventually, you have to just jump in and decide, okay, it's time to take a break or do something a little bit different.

The problem for me is, making a trek to anywhere that requires a passport means I definitely want to go for more than 1 or 2 weeks, and ideally it would be for more like 3-4 weeks. But who can afford to be completely away from the office for that long?

So, about a month ago I casually mentioned to my co-worker at Citrix Online that I would love to workshift from charming cafés while cycling through the European countryside. The next thing I knew, she, my manager and I were planning the trip!

Using GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC, I can work from anywhere (I've done it many a time when traveling home for the holidays or visiting friends), so why not workshift while doing some of the other things I enjoy? I love cycling, and I've been dreaming of another trip to Europe since last I went in May of 2004.

Now, I'm in Germany with my partner, Carlos, a brand new tandem bicycle, three changes of clothes, an iPad, an iPhone, a couple of cameras, GoToMeeting and Citrix Receiver. The journey will be 6 weeks total: 3 weeks on the bike and workshifting, 1 week working at the Citrix Synergy event in Berlin, Germany, and 1 1/2 weeks of pure vacation in Spain. (Yep, going for a complete "unplugged" experience in Spain - though I do have peace of mind knowing I can easily check in if needed!)

The adventure has begun and I am already meeting and connecting with people from all over the world - which is a large part of what this trip is about for me. In fact I've already worked with one of my Danish colleagues at his home in Slangerup. I had breakfast with him and his family one morning, raced with him in a bicycle criterium that afternoon, and later we worked together from his kitchen table - what a great way to spend the day and evening.

I'm excited to see how this experience takes shape and looking forward to learning new tricks for being totally mobile, both while traveling and working. I hope you'll follow along as I learn and share - and I hope you'll share any advice you have for me as well!

There are a lot of ways you can check in with me from my web site, Kelley Checks In, to all my social sites including Twitter and Facebook.

Over the past four weeks, I've crash-landed on a rocky beach off the coast of California, rocked out in the Windy City where music and skyscrapers ruled the air at Lollapalooza, and spent back-to-back weekends in a city of hippies and flowers, or nowadays, bums and hipsters--San Francisco.

All in all, it's been 5,714 hard, fun, and memorable miles--and how many days of work did I miss? Just two. Would you be able to do this at your job? If you had remote technologies and a policy that encourages the balance of work and life, you could. My company not only encourages this behavior, but it is the sole reason I can do this. Their remote access and online collaboration tools allow me to meet and work from anywhere.

Before I went to the Chicago Black Keys concert, I jumped on my Mac and sent off my latest work project. And, as I enjoyed a view of the Bay from my San Francisco hotel, I spoke in a webinar about GoToMeeting and could honestly talk about the benefits of web-based software because I was experiencing them firsthand.

Sound too good to be true? You're kind of right. There are a handful of pitfalls when workshifting, I have to admit. Here's what I learned, and hopefully you will avoid my mistakes and be able to work hard and play hard:

1. Have an Internet plan B
. There's not always WiFi; in fact, there's not always consistent coverage even when you do have WiFi. For example, while at Lollapalooza, the only place where my iPhone worked was by the port-o-potties. Who wants to reply to an email near that mess? Not me! Make sure, no matter where you go, you know the Internet landscape if you plan on working--not just accessibility, but reliability.
   
   
2. Anticipate distractions
. Just because you have technology that allows you to work from anywhere, doesn't mean you will. An exciting opportunity may pop up, like meeting Edward Sharpe of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. A more practical plan may be simply working from a hotel room. Make sure you put the "Do not disturb" sign up when you're in an online meeting or webinar. Nothing is more embarrassing than having 500 people listening to you and hear, "[knock, knock] Excuse me, housekeeping."

   
   
3. You're not alone
. Look around, lots of other people are workshifting too. In fact, most people have handheld devices that allow them to check their work emails. There are tons of resources for how to workshift better, how to get more accomplished, and what technology you should use. This blog is a good example of that (so pat yourself on the back; you're already enlightened ).

   
   
4. Focus on one thing. 
This is the biggest lesson I learned: you cannot do two things at once and expect the same quality for both. Focus on one thing at a time. If that's snorkeling and making fun of how your boyfriend looks in his snorkel mask, go for it. If it's talking with industry analysts about the latest market trends, dive in and be present. It's easy to get distracted while workshifting, but keep your focus on one track.
   
   
5. Mind the field. 
This is a literal lesson. I tripped over a group of people at the music festival because I was too focused on my iPhone and work email instead of the people sitting Indian style in front of me. Be practical and realistic about where you work and what's going on around you. If there's construction, avoid it and move somewhere else. If you can see a big crowd about to enter the coffee shop you're working in, get outta Dodge City and head for quiet ground.

   
   
6. Keep it separate
. Just like keeping your focus and anticipating distractions, keep your work and life separate. If you mix the two, you will lose out on the richness of both. Plus, you can't fully engage in one thing because you're busy thinking about the other. I certainly learned to do this as I sat on a pretty beach watching the sailboats go by...no thoughts of work, or deadlines, or speaking engagements, just pure relaxation and a nice breeze.

What adventures have you been able to experience because of remote technologies like GoToMyPC or GoToMeeting?

Photo Credit: Smile My Day

A couple weeks ago, while workshifting from a Starbucks in New York City, I decided to take the plunge and try a Hoffacino. You're probably wondering what the heck a Hoffacino is all about, so I'll take a second to fill you in. Chris Hoff, security and cloud guru, came up with this custom Starbucks drink and it's slowly started to develop a following (at least it seems like it according to my twitter timeline).
Here's how you order it:
    Venti Starbucks Doubleshot on ice
    6 shots (espresso)
    3 Splenda
    No classic (syrup)
    Breve
So, what do you think? It sounds a little crazy, right? Well, I can assure you it's not just crazy, but also very delicious. It's not for the faint of heart (ba-dum-cha!) but if you like espresso and a caffeine rush I sincerely recommend you give it a whirl.

The thought had crossed my mind to write a personal blog post about the ordering/drinking experience (like these), but while mulling it over I decided it would be even better to share it with the workshifting community. You guys and gals spend your days at home, in coffee shops, at hotels and countless other places, and I bet you enjoy a higher than average beverage quotient, I know I do.

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite drinks (in no particular order):

-    Water (<10 cals):Sometimes there's nothing better than an ice cold glass of water to quench your thirst, especially in this summer heat. If you're not a big fan of water you can try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or get those powder add-ins to give it a little splash of flavor. You should never forget this fundamental fluid of life; it does wonders for my productivity.

-    Smoothie (400ish cals, varies by ingredients): You might be surprised by how easy it is to make healthy shakes on a regular basis. I've been experimenting with Alton Brown's Buff Smoothie recipe and choosing different fruit combinations with quite pleasant results. I even shared my own Red Bull themed incarnation a few months ago. What's great about the recipe is you prep the night before and just do a quick blend in the morning. I take it on the road with me as a healthy breakfast and it sure beats a donut or bagel.

-    Toffee Nut Java Chip Frappuccino (350-600 cals): Sometimes when I'm on the go and get a craving for a dessert/coffee/chocolate fix, this is the drink I reach for. As with most Frappuccinos, it's high in calories, but you could order it as a Frappuccino Light to make it healthier. The toffee nut syrup is the perfect complement to the chocolate chips and coffee. Once you try it, you'll be hooked.

-    Iced Green Tea (90 cals): It's hard to resist the lure of the Free Wi-Fi at your local Panera and when I'm not in the coffee/soda mood I usually grab for their Iced Green Tea. It's definitely on the sweet side and is more akin to soda (minus the carbonation), but is a nice change of pace.

I'm always interested in new locales and new drinks, so I'd love to hear about your go to drinks.


Photo Credit: John Flinchbaugh