This coming weekend, I'm taking some time off, to go on a mini-vacation with my husband. I'm both excited and nervous about it at the same time. Part of me is thrilled to be "shutting down" from my business for a few days. The other part of me is wondering if I can really do it.

I became a full-time workshifter 2 years ago, and I've never looked back. I adore the lifestyle - making my own hours and setting my own priorities is definitely the way I like to do things. I was never big on the workaday world. But there is a downside to my nomadic work life, and it's one that I have to work hard to control. You see, because our office is where WE are, instead of the other way around, we workshifters often tend to forget how many hours we work. We work until the coffee shop closes, or our flight arrives, or our spouse tells us it's time to go to bed. Our tendency is to work until the work gets done, and it's all too easy to lose track of time until we sit, brain-dead and bleary eyed, wondering where the week went. The risk then could get more serious - if we keep going and going without enough down time, we could burn out. And trust me, burn out is not pretty.

So what's a workshifter to do?

Great expectations.

We've all heard the saying "The best laid plans of mice and men.". Well, as workshifters, often our best laid plans, (you know, the ones where we'll take weekends off, finish work by 6pm, and travel less), wind up going out the window because we blindly check our email or voicemail at 8pm, and realize that we'll never sleep that night if we don't respond to that "urgent" client request right away.

One of the biggest traps we fall into as digital nomads is we forget to shut off our work at a certain time each day. We don't set boundaries for ourselves, and before we know it, we've been pulling 16 hour days 6 times a week. The only way to get out of the "always-on" trap is to start to manage expectations - not only those of your clients and colleagues, but your expectations of yourself, as well.

For me, setting a time limit on the day simply doesn't work. Sometimes, I have to be up and at it at 7am, and then on the same day, I'll have no choice but to be at a video shoot at 8pm. What does work for me is letting a limitation on my actual tasks for the day. When I'm planning my week, I make my To-Do lists based on what I know I can reasonably accomplish in any given day, and then I stick to it. I always leave a bit of space for the unexpected (and sometimes that means postponing certain things), but by not taking on more than I can chew at once, I'm ultimately more successful. Not only that, but if I've set my own expectations first, it's much easier to manage the expectations of my clients. If I've planned to have something done for Wednesday morning, I am able to clearly communicate this, and as a result, I'm a lot calmer and so is my client.

Manage your time, yes. But manage your expectations of yourself too. Set your schedule in manageable chunks. I guarantee you'll look back on your week having accomplished a lot more.

Photo Credit: cathyse97

Okay, so I have returned from my workshifting train trip from NYC to Miami, and yes I am fully aware of how crazy that sounds.  I traveled on Amtrak for the duration of the trip using something that's called a USA Rail Pass.  Basically, you receive 8 segments in 15 days for just under 400 dollars, which considering how late I booked it, is a pretty good deal.  It was a total over over 60 travel hours.

Look, its no surprise that taking a train that distance will not be as time efficient as air travel.  However, I decided to take a train to mix things up a bit and investigate whether workshifting was indeed possible all the way up and down the East Coast.  

Now, for the question of whether I remained productive.  You know how when you get on a plane, you can just crank out work because there are no distractions?  Yeah, it was like that, except for 60 hours instead of six.  It was beautiful.

From a workshifters perspective, Amtrak trains are pretty solid.  They boast big, comfy chairs, probably the equivalent of First Class on most airlines.  They also have working outlets for each passenger so you can stay charged up at all times.  And of course, you can't beat the scenery.  No, the normal trains do not have WiFi, only some commuter trains do.  But I use Verizon Wireless broadband anyway which is built into my netbook.  I was very impressed with Verizon's service.  I had access to WiFi for the entire trip.  There were plenty of spots where I had no cell phone coverage on my T-Mobile Android device but was able to keep working on my netbook.

All in all, the trip was fantastic.  I was able to remain just as productive if not more so, while soaking up beautiful scenery, meeting some very interesting people and visiting some cool spots in the US.  I love experimenting and pushing the boundaries with workshifting because I believe we have reached a point (at least in most of the developed world) where work is truly what you do and not where you sit.  The ability to workshift is not just about productivity and connectedness, its about freeing yourself to take an adventure and bring your work along with you.  And that's exactly what I continue planning to do. :)

The silent "D" in workshifting stands for self-discipline. The freedom of "office anywhere" allows us to have is sometimes dangerous for the new workshifter. It is easy for the high productivity environment created by working outside the office to have the opposite effect. Not having the office to discipline us requires that we discipline ourselves. This can be hard (Remember the first time you left home on your own).  

Self-disciple is part of our character. It is not willpower or a set of activities. I used to believe I was disciplined because I had a planned calendar and kept to it. I now believe it is deeper. To develop discipline we must start with our thoughts. Our thoughts then determine our actions. Our actions develop habits and our habits form character.

Thoughts --> Actions --> Habits = Character

Simple (not always easy) ways to achieve self-discipline:

Remember what you want most, not now. Focus on your goal. Adopt long-term thinking as opposed to short-term thinking. Set up short range rewards along the way to get you to the next step. If you get this- You have won 75% of the battle.

Advanced decision making. Make your decisions ahead of time. When the choice needs to be made, it isn't as hard. For example, if I decide before I go to dinner that I am not going to order dessert,  when the waiter asks at the restaurant, it is easier to choose "no" because I already decided.  

Consistent action. Repeated actions lead to habits. Habits form your character. Start with a simple area to be consistent in. I have a friend who started making her bed each morning to develop a consistent habit. This small habit formed a character of discipline which has permeated into her professional life.

The freedom to workshift is a blessing or a curse. Discipline determines which one we experience.

What do you do to create a character of self-discipline?

Photo Credit: qousqous 

When organizations and individuals start having conversations about workshifting, the discussion seems to naturally gravitate toward how to manage a person who isn't sitting around an office all day. It's a reality and unfortunately, this is where the workshifting concept can often get stuck.

A basic tenet of workshifting is being able to manage yourself. That's not to say people who work in offices can't manage themselves, but I've heard from many people over the years that they need an office to visit each day. Because working from home or the local coffee shop can sometimes be a distraction. And having an office away from home keeps them focused.

So I thought it might be interesting to start a discussion on qualities of self-management. Obviously, they apply whether you're in a workshifting arrangement or not. But if you are considering asking for a workshifting arrangement, this might be food for thought. And even if you find these are qualities you need to work on, that doesn't mean you won't be successful in workshifting. It just means you need to reflect a little and perfect your ability to self-manage.

The first quality is knowing yourself. It's about understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Being very honest with who you are. Let's face it - we're not all rock stars at everything.

There are a few ways you can spend time learning about yourself. I always say there are three ways to learn - hearing it, seeing it and doing it.

1. Ask for feedback. Talk with people who have a sense of your working style and ask them for feedback about your strengths and areas for improvement. If you don't have anyone you can ask right now, think about prior performance appraisals you've received and use that feedback.
   
   Once you get feedback, take the time to process and evaluate it. I'd caution people not to immediately dismiss it. You might agree with all of it, parts of it, or none of it. But think it though, make the decision for yourself, and then decide what you will do with the information. Do you need to create an action plan to work on something that was mentioned?
   
   
2. Read books about developing strengths. One terrific book is called, "Now Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. In the book, there is an opportunity to take an assessment that can help you define your personal strengths. Great way to create your own path of self-discovery.
   
   If you have ever taken any assessments in the past, this is a good time to take them out and review them. Consider the results and, like the process above, evaluate what you need to focus on moving forward.
   
   
3. Step out of your comfort zone and do something you haven't done before. For example, if you're apprehensive about public speaking...go out there and volunteer to do a public presentation. Use the evaluations from the sessions to improve. Then do it again.
   

Stepping back to assess and evaluate our personal strengths and weaknesses is a valuable exercise not only for workshifting but anytime. It allows us to keep ourselves focused and positioned to adapt as necessary.

Next up, how self-management and our careers are intertwined.

Photo Credit: Valerie Everett

Since December 15, 2009, Melissa and I have been home for about 15 days.  Last week, we returned from a 91 day workshifting trip in Europe, and decided to ground ourselves in the East Village for a few weeks before our next adventure.  Problem: My little brother, who I call Boy, is graduating and he lives in Miami.

At this point, I am absolutely exhausted at the thought of another short haul flight.  So, I decide to do the only natural thing any workshifting nomad would do...take a train to Miami from New York City.

I just got a new netbook, and of course am rocking Verizon Wireless broadband card as usual.  I am actually curious to see if I can stay productive while traveling down the entire East Coast on an Amtrak.
P.S. The hashtag for this little experiment is #imonatrain.

I've been workshifting since before there was a term for it. I started back in the late 90s, when I convinced my office that I could manage most of my project details remotely. By the early 2000s, when the company where I worked acquired a new building, I even built workshifting (then called telecommuting) into the desk counts for the office space. Years later, I brought workshifting to my marketing company, New Marketing Labs , because my home is 67 miles away from my desk.

But recently, I picked up an office space closer to home because working out of coffeeshops was getting too disruptive. And in so doing, it gave me pause to reflect on the differences between being 100% nomad and having a desk. It also gives me a new way to workshift, so I'll share that, too.

The Immediate Stretch Out

The first thing I noticed upon getting an office is that I've stretched out my stuff again. I bought a second monitor right away (because living inside a laptop lid is restrictive). I had to buy all these "supplies" like an easel board and dry erase boards, so that I could have some "object permanence." When we're workshifting back and forth to different coffee shops, we can't do that kind of thing.



Oh, and I had to start thinking about refreshments and breaks, because when you're at a coffee shop, you're surrounded by things to snack on and drink, but in an office environment, especially if you've rented your own, there's nothing unless you bring it in.

New Benefits for Workshifting

One thing I noticed right away. The moment I had a desk in my office, I didn't want to be tethered to my cell phone all the time for communication. I turned on Skype right away (though I roll in invisible mode all the time). I'm also renewing my GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar usage (they're a client and the sponsor of this blog).

The benefit of having my office is that I'm not worried about all the loud noises and interruptions of others around me. It doesn't matter when the espresso machine runs, because there's not one in my office. So, I can use remote communications tools much more effectively here.

Having an office space away from my main office (but not a coffee shop) means that I can have more team-minded meetings again. Because I can use remote communications software, I can see everyone's frustrated heads more easily, and that sometimes helps (because nonverbal cues are important to better understanding).

Still a Nomad at Heart

I still have to leave this office behind sometimes. Not counting airports and hotel rooms, I still have to get out to coffee shops and bookstores sometimes. I can't stand too much silence. And hey, sometimes a change of locale helps the experience of thinking and understanding.

When all is said and done, there are benefits to having some kind of office space from time to time. Workshifting isn't about giving up offices entirely, nor is it about staying out there away from the mothership forever. What it is about are options. The more you can work in ways that best suit your role at work as well as your roles in life, the better it is for everyone.

Paper. The analog method. Call it what you will. In this age of digital, using something as 20th century as pen and paper sounds like a very strange thing to do.

It doesn't matter if you use a tablet, a pocket notebook, the other side of some printed paper, or the back of an envelope. Paper can be more than just a quaint way of going old school. It can be a useful and powerful tool.

Why use paper?

I'm definitely not harking back to the days when William Faulkner wrote his manuscripts with a pen on a legal pad. Instead, I'm advocating the use of paper for other tasks, which I'll get to in a moment.

The goal these days seems to be to go paperless. So you're probably asking why paper, and not ... well, something digital. A few reasons:

• No matter how hard we try, we're not always online or have our computers turned on
• There are situations -- when riding transit, for example -- when we can't just whip out laptop, tablet, or smartphone
• Sometimes you just can't be bothered turning on a computer or electronic device
  

There are times when the keyboard is a source of stress when I'm trying work. When I have distractions pummeling me, it's like the keyboard is taunting me and I don't have a good comeback for those taunts. That's when paper becomes a sanity saver.

And as someone told me, when the power goes down pen and paper stay up.

Using paper effectively

Doing that isn't as simple as pulling out a notepad and moving a pen across it. As I mentioned a few paragraphs ago, there are certain tasks that I recommend using paper for. With some of them, going the analog route can be more effective than using software or a Web app.

Like what? Jotting down quick notes, ideas, and quotes. I do that a lot. In fact, half of my notebook is filled with little snippets like that.

If you write for a living, dragging yourself away from the computer is a great way to focus on building an outline or even scribbling out that first draft that's been giving you trouble. Regardless of what my instructors in journalism school told me contrary, going this route actually helps me write faster.

Paper is great for brainstorming. Better, I think, than mind mapping software. Using paper and pen allows you to be a lot more spontaneous and gives you opportunities to immediately explore a tangent.

No matter how you're using paper, keep the old adage don't think, do in mind. Let your pen flow over the paper. Don't worry about mistakes or whether or not what you're putting down is any good. You can edit and excise later.

The drawbacks of paper

Yes, there are a few. The biggest one is the what does that say? problem. No matter how neat your handwriting is, if you're writing quickly then sometimes your nice flowing handwriting becomes a hard-to-decipher scrawl. If your handwriting is anything like mine, then this is a problem at the best of times!

If you want to move what's on paper to a digital repository like Evernote or Google Docs, it's going to eat up a bit more of your time. You've got to spend more than a few minutes typing up what you've handwritten. This can drag on you if you're facing a deadline.

Of course, running out of ink and of empty pages is a constant danger ...

Still, I believe that the advantages of using paper really outweigh the drawbacks. Paper is portable and flexible. And it's easy to use.

Do you use paper? If so, how? Feel free to share your experiences by leaving a comment.

Photo Credit: pyth0ns

2010 seems to have been the year mobile gadgets have really become ubiquitous. Smart phones, laptops and the like are no longer just for professional uses. It's hard to walk through a public facility anymore without seeing people of all ages on their smart phones and mobile computing devices. As workshifters you know that the majority of the weight in any of your carry on bags these days is at least 50% gadgets and devices. Well, mine is anyway. The biggest challenge all of these devices bring us on a daily basis is having the ability to access the information you need from any of them.

Today I'd like to talk about an app that I use all the time and has been a lifesaver on many occasions: Dropbox. Dropbox gives you the ability to access data across a multitude of devices and share that data with anyone you allow access to.

Last year at about this time I was speaking at one of the biggest events of my life. While traveling on the plane to the venue my laptop screen decided it was going to just stop working. No warning and no Apple store in sight when I landed. Luckily, I had placed my presentation in my Dropbox folder and had it stored safely up in the cloud. 15 minutes after landing I sent a message to the event promoter and asked if he might be able to lend me his computer to do my presentation. He was more than happy to help me out and within 20 minutes I had alleviated the stress of having to give my presentation without slides.

This is the magic of Dropbox. Heck, my wife is as far from a geeky gadget gal as anyone but loves the Dropbox app! We place photos of our 12 week old son in the secure Dropbox and she then has the ability to show them to anyone that asks via her Andriod based smart phone installed with the Dropbox app without taking up precious memory space.

Dropbox can serve a multitude of functions but really excels with the workshifting professional that wants to have important backups and files easily accessible from any device with internet access. Give it a try today. they have a free 1 Gig plan as well as some paid plans.

Let me know what you think of Dropbox!


Photo Credit: Akakumo

Wifi is great. Except when it isn't there. And it's usually when you need wifi the most that it's either not available or goes down.

But if you have a smartphone and a good data plan, you can can get around any wifi problems that you might encounter. How? By tethering your phone to your laptop.

Tethering?
Think of tethering as turning your smartphone into a high-speed modem for your laptop or netbook. It's easy to do, and can not only but a life saver but a sanity saver too. Tethering has enabled me to get information and deliverables to clients when the wireless I've been using has gone down.

Tethering involves connecting your smartphone to your laptop. That can be a physical connection using a cable (I know, how old school!) or making the connection using Bluetooth. Once attached, your phone's data connection acts like wifi.

Your connection speed will, as you've probably guessed, depend on your phone's signal strength. When you're getting four or five bars your Internet connection will be barely distinguishable from a good wifi link. On the other hand, if you're phone is only getting a couple of bars ... like molasses is a good way to describe the experience.

What you'll need
Obviously, you need a smartphone and a laptop. Keep in mind that not all smartphones support tethering. Ones that do include the iPhone, several models of BlackBerry, and most Android-powered phones.

Besides a phone, you'll need a 3G data plan. Anything else and you might not be able to tether. If you can, then you'll get speeds that rival dial up. If you're going to tether, make sure you have a data plan that gives you a lot of bandwidth; at least 5 GB a month.

You'll also need a USB cable to connect your smartphone to your laptop; the phone usually comes with one. This is a moot point if you're tethering over a Bluetooth connection.

You might also need to install drivers -- specialized software that allows your computer to interact with your phone -- on your computer. This isn't always necessary, but whether or not you'll need to install drivers will depend on your phone.

Explaining how to tether specific smartphones is outside the scope of this post. You can find some good tutorials here. And here's an overview to tethering an Android-powered phone running the latest version of the operating system.

Drawbacks
Yes, there are a few. The biggest one is that you can really burn through your data plan's bandwidth by tethering. Getting hit by additional charges, like a colleague of mine recently did, can really hurt your wallet.

While your phone is tethered, you can't make or receive calls. Any calls will be shunted to your voicemail.

Finally, if you use Bluetooth to tether your phone to your laptop that will really speed up the drain on the battery for both your phone and your laptop. Using a USB cable isn't too bad -- taking this route will charge your phone.

Overall, though, the benefits of tethering a smartphone to a laptop outweigh the disadvantages. As long as you do it sparingly, tethering can be a great addition to any workshifter's toolkit.

What are your experiences with tethering?


Photo credit: .shock from Photoxpress

As a home office-based working journalist and corporate copy writer, my job sometimes takes me on the road. This coming week, for example, I'll be gigging as a reporter for a private organization's trade show daily. Not sexy, but a nice gig amid the otherwise doldrums of summer-- a remote work gig for a remote worker.

But how will I make sure it happens seamlessly and without jeopardizing existing projects? And how will I make sure I work as effectively as possible from the road?

First, I clear it up front with this client: Between work for you, I'll need to do some work for my other clients. They're cool with that. They have to be, or else the gig won't work.

Next, I set expectations for my existing clients. I tell them I'll be on the road, with limited timely access to e-mail and phone calls. They know I have my BlackBerry, and I've kind of spoiled them by responding too quickly at times (or at odd hours). Not this time, I warn. "If you need me, it might take a while to get back to you."

As for my gear, that's how the work really gets done. My Oakley backpack, which generally is packed and ready for remote work on a moment's notice, will become my mobile office. In it are my...

• HP Tablet laptop. Small and portable with fairly long battery life, this has been a workhorse of my remote-work life.
• Verizon broadband USB card. I've been told I won't need my own Internet access - that the press room at the event will have Ethernet or wireless. But the size of my thumb, it's better just to bring it along and be safe and connected.
• Mini Surge Protector and power strip - with four outlets and two USB jacks for charging. I won't have my camera to charge (an extra BlackBerry charger is always packed in my bag). You never know when power outlets will be at a premium. And I've learned that power in hotels and cruise ships can be "dirty" with spikes and surges. Best to clean it up with a good protector.
• Laptop cable lock. Always. Small and portable, its high tensile-strength cable and compact size mean it never leaves my bag. There will be times I will want to leave my laptop behind - if only for a few moments. I just make sure to loop it through something secure.
• Laptop desk. My LapWorks folding tray/desk has turned awkward situations into more comfortable work settings. Weighing less than a pound, it folds to stash beside my laptop. When open, it can be a laptop desk, or a angled, desktop perch.
• Analgesics. I go nowhere without my Excedrin (in a small Dramamine travel tube) and little vials of saline for my contact lenses. Headaches can be the curse of any creative existence.

What's not in my bag? My USB headphones for Skype, my card reader and portable accessories kit, simple tools, and a few other things. We'll get to those in a future post. But I generally bring things I know I must have. Anything else can be purchased at the hotel gift shop.

This Workshifter exclusively uses Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Calendar for all my email, contact management and scheduling. So it's as pervasive and close as my access to The Cloud. For those projects I'm working on while away at this gig, they're never farther than my Carbonite.com online back-up account. Everything on my desktop is backed up - and accessible from - "out there."

With my bag packed and assuming my Cloud's intact, my office is ready to go anywhere. If you need me, leave a message. I'll get back to you - even if it's 2 a.m.

What are your essential tools?



Photo Credit: Jon Dunning