As a workshifter, I have had to learn to literally shift from multi-tasking to mono-tasking. Make no mistake, I need to master multiple tasks a day, but I choose to focus on one at a time - which means I am constantly on the move from one task to the next, as they are completed to my satisfaction and/or reach a logical stopping point.

This takes a considerable amount of momentum and stamina. Surprise, Surprise! As I carried my "portable office" to my extended family's home on Christmas Day (so I could knock out some research and still be among family), I realized that workshifting also takes commitment and passion. If I did not enjoy what I was doing and if I were not deeply committed to producing quality output, I would have been a very unhappy elf. Working while everyone else was playing with their new electronic toys and eating dessert may seem, to some, like torture. But to me, a seasoned workshifter, I craved the opportunity to create while inspiration was flowing and to capture as much of my otherwise "free time" to do the research I rarely have time to do on more structured workdays when the phone is ringing and emails won't cease. As workshifters, to whom much is given, much is still expected. We are blessed with the freedom to be and to create on our own timetable, yet we are fully accountable for what we produce on that same timetable.

Passion is a crucial ingredient to any workshifter's recipe. Without it, other ingredients such as organization, expertise and timeliness would fall flat like a failed soufflé. In each task, project or assignment you undertake, passion will provide differentiation; timeliness and quality are expected - so, in essence, it's not what you do but rather the je ne sais quoi of how you do it which ultimately makes your product shine from the inside out!

Without passion for what you are doing, you might as well_________?

Photo Credit: Nick Wheeler

Ah, the holidays. Time to relax, hang out with the family, and celebrate the joys of the season.

This time of year I'm reminded of what it was like to work in an office environment. Work started to slow down as people left early to start their holidays. Quiet afternoons gave way to informal gatherings in the boardroom, for secret Santa gift exchanges and the occasional drink of eggnog and if you were lucky, a drop of rum. By the last day, things were free and easy, and often the office shutdown would commence, between Christmas Eve and January 3rd.

If you're a workshifter, the scene can be very different.

The run up to the holidays can be quite stressful; plowing through billable projects so invoices can be sent (and hopefully paid!) prior to year end keeps us very busy the closer Christmas gets. We don't always have the luxury of a holiday shutdown...deadlines loom in spite of our clients being away. And, somehow we still need to balance our shopping and baking and gift wrapping with social gatherings. Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure a smooth and enjoyable holiday season, even if you're more than a little tied to your desk while everyone else is checking out for the season.

Keep Distractions to a Minimum

Distractions are super high this time of year. Everyone is online talking about shopping, and food, and travel plans, and parties...and you're stuck on the computer trying to get one more proposal out the door, or finish that year end client report. It's pretty easy to get sidetracked by all the fun everyone else is having. So now, more than ever, shut down the Twitter and Facebook streams, and focus. Set your task list for the day and don't even think about peeking at your email or social stream till it's done. Then, at the end of the day, reward yourself with a festive drink and join the party again.

Online Shopping is Your Friend

When you're focused on work, you can be reluctant pull away from the desk and go holiday shopping. This time of year, a one hour trip to the toy store can easily become a three hour marathon, and that's time the average work shifter simply can't afford. A few years ago I started doing my Christmas shopping online and I've never been happier. It takes way less time to place an order than to shop in person, and I find there is often more variety and better deals. And delivery is a snap - after all, you're home most days to accept deliveries, right? There is still a bit of time to shop online and still receive things in time for Christmas. So get on it!

Use the Downtime

No matter how busy you are in the next couple of weeks, it's going to be quiet between Christmas and New Years. So why not use that time wisely? Clean up your office and purge out all the unnecessary junk you've accumulated over the year. File those receipts that have been shoved in that box under your desk. You're going to appreciate those organized receipts in a couple of months when you're swamped again and it's tax time. And perhaps most importantly, don't forget to close up shop yourself for a bit. Set your out of office notice. Don't answer the phone. Turn off your notifications. And just enjoy your family and friends. You've earned the break!

Happy Holidays!

Photo Credit: iampeas

As any worker knows, the holidays and work clash.  We want to enjoy time with family, overeat on Thanksgiving, shop like mad on Black Friday, but the demands of work get in the way.

For example, I work 1500 miles away from my family and Grammie.  While I love the beaches of Santa Barbara, I miss being close to them in the cowboy country of Oklahoma.

As my Grammie's health has been declining this year, my company and remote technology has allowed me to work from Oklahoma for the holidays.

This has made my Grammie happy and my life that much richer.  My Grammie has written workshifting a thank you letter as a result (below).

Thank you to workshifting (from me and my Grammie), and thank you to the innovation of technology that allows all of us to work from anywhere.

Your most loyal supporters,
Jessica and Grammie J

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but at some point it became OK not to show up or respond to electronic invitations for meetings, parties, events...

Admittedly, there is a high volume of electronic invitations sent to workshifters. The very nature of our work and the tools we use gives rise to the culture of evites. The real question is, other than spam, how often do you let people know that you are or are not coming?

Death of the RSVP

I think we take for granted that most invitations are deliberate and thoughtful. Lets take the case of a webinar. In most cases, if 40 out of 100 people who raised their hand and said YES, actually show up, that's considered a huge success. We tend to take invitations for online events not very seriously; including the ones we say yes to. I have to admit, I make this mistake too.

There seems to be a sliding scale in terms of obligation to RSVP:

Online event: Low
Meetup/Tweetup: Moderate
Dinner party: High

In the real world, when we get invited to an event it's generally rude not to RSVP. So why is that? Consequence! If you responded "yes" to a dinner invite and didn't show up, you'd be an outcast. They held a seat for you, prepared a wonderful meal that cost expense and time, may have hired a baby sitter, a bartender, and more. Lastly, you'd have to face them, for real, and for real life.

Now, lets replace the words "dinner party" with "webinar". They held a seat for you, prepared amazing (it better be) and compelling content which comes with expense and time, may have hired a moderator, database services, and more. Many similarities to the time and expense of hosting a dinner party, less the food.

We know what the right thing to do is, but we let it slip because it seemingly has no consequence. In a world where our personal brand and electronic credibility are front and center, I think it wise to bring real world thoughtfulness, respect and responsibility to the world we share online.

What say you?

Photo Credit: Jeff Wheeler

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

Summer is a hard time to stay focused.  The Sun is shining, flip-flops are on your feet, and the home office feels more like cell block 109 than a cozy work station.  Do you know the feeling?  I feel it every year the Mercury rises past 70.  To keep myself productive I gave myself a few "Summer Rules".  Maybe they will help you work smarter this season.


1. Own your calendar:  During the summer months the social calendar is more active.  There seems to be an endless number distractions to pull us away from getting work done.  I use Google Calendar internally, to schedule time blocks to accomplish my different tasks for the week.  I fill in the most important things as early in the day as possible.  I like using Tungle for my external meeting scheduler.  It integrates well with other calendars and has a cool "proposed times" feature.

2. Get outside everyday: I love the long days of April through October.  I start my workday an hour earlier in the summer.  This gives me more daylight to get outside and enjoy the afternoon.  You could take a 15-30 minute walk or work outside in the shade.  Your body will love the vitamin D and fresh air.

3. Unplug: This is related to #2 but is important to categorize by itself. Unplugging gives your mind time to reboot.  You will come back more focused and effective.  Use the off the grid time to enjoy the company of friends and family.  Experience the world around you.  Last week I saw a guy laying in a hammock with a cell phone to his ear and a laptop on his chest.  Really?

These are simple guidelines that help me stay productive during the summer months.  Most people get distracted too easily this time of year.  We relapse to our school days when we had summer break and could sleep in and shed responsibilities.  Today we don't have the same luxury with projects due and business to ship.  Don't give in to the summer blues.  Work hard and play hard.

What are your summer rules?

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon

Do you workshift while on vacation?  What tips would you suggest to others?

Photo by: melissaleon

Ok, that title may alienate a few folks, but sometimes instead of "holiday", I just want to say Christmas!  Ok, I feel better.

As Christmas gets near I need to mentally prepare for in-laws, distant cousins, intoxicated relatives, long drives, delayed planes and a lot of general pain associated with getting to loved ones.  Once i'm finally in the mix, I find that I need to disconnect from the festive crowd, sit down and log-on.  I look to workshifting as break from all the human connectivity.  I need to interact with my online community, maybe check-in at Foursquare (wish it worked better on the iPod Touch), Facebook, read some blog posts and if I'm really feeling uptight, check work email.

It's exactly what I'm trying to escape when I'm on vacation, and yet I find it so comforting when I need to disconnect...from my vacation.  Weird, I wonder if some of you feel the same way?
I don't think this is a bad thing.  Many of us workshifters love what we do.  I happen to be one of those people.  Logging into work or joining an online meeting is sometimes just what the doctor ordered during the holidays.  So if you do it, don't feel bad. 

Many people will be doing the same.  Watch for this type of behavior:  Someone will be nodding their head like they are listening to you intently, slowly they will be backing up towards the hallway but being sure to grab a champagne cocktail on the way, then quietly dipping into an office.  They will sit down to the warm glow of the monitor and then a certain sense of calm will wash over them.  Ahhh.....

Is that you?  How do you workshift during the holidays?

Merry Christmas!

Photo by: dejahthoris