Jan 28
Hands down, most of the people I know who want to travel for more than a few weeks here and there want to run their own businesses. They want to start their own business that allows them to support their traveling habit while still working on a schedule that is convenient for those same travels. But that approach requires skills that must be developed in advance. While it’s possible to pick up one or two of these skills when you’ve already got an itinerary planned, building them ahead of time makes a world of difference.
- Paperwork-Fu: You’re traveling light, which means that you don’t have a filing cabinet for all those pages of paper that can build up at the average office. The minute a piece of paper comes in the door, it must be processed. Depending on how you travel, the process can be different — a high quality camera can be useful if you want a record of all your receipts without carrying the associated papers around. It’s best if you use the same approach for digital paperwork as well. You never know when you’re going to be without an internet connection if you’re out on the road.
- Rules Lawyering: The phenomenon is most common in tabletop RPGs, when one player knows every single rule in the book — and how to take advantage of them. While I don’t want you to be a pain in the butt during games, it’s a skill that will come in handy when you’re trying to figure out details like what your visa allows you to do in your destination and how to handle taxes from oversea.
- Loquaciousness: Aside from the fact that I’ve always wanted to actually use the word ‘loquaciousness,’ you must be out-going and have the associated skill set. You have to be able to walk up to strangers, ask questions, make friends and talk about just about anything.
- Short Attention Span: Time management is particularly tough when you’re on the road. Even if you have a schedule in mind, things come up just about every day. That means that you need to cultivate the skill of sitting down to work in short spurts. It can’t take you an hour to get into the groove of working — you need to be able to get into a work mindset immediately.
- Technical Know-How: There are plenty of cities without Apple stores around the corner. No matter what equipment you rely on for your work, you need to be able to handle basic problems. It’s worthwhile reading up on some simple maintenance, too — assuming you want to minimize the problems with your computer.
- Sign Language: Depending on where your destination lies, there is a decent chance you may wind up somewhere that you don’t know the lingo. Communicating in such situations can be difficult, but picking up on the local gestures can help you speed the process along. It doesn’t hurt to think ahead about how you can get your meaning across.
- Salesmanship: No matter where your business is, you’re going to have to be able to sell yourself. Doing it through a computer can be much harder than handling sales in person, so getting in plenty practice before you pack your bags is critical.
A very solid list! These are all traits that I’ve found incredibly useful to have while working and traveling.
The only item I would add is “The Willingness to Say ‘Yes’.” So many opportunities have fallen onto my lap because of my newfound willingness to just take things as they come and scrap plays as soon as the game starts. Being ready to roll with the punches and take risks is vital to getting the most out of a travel/work experience!
Nice summary of skills needed to work continually from the road. One of the hardest things for me about working on the road is #4 – trying to become instantaneously productive because there is an internet connection for only one hour to get 100 things done, but my mind is still wandering about what I saw that morning or wanting to send an email to my mother or whatever. In addition to picking up some sign language for charades, another skill that comes in very handy is being able to express your needs or thoughts in very simple words, the fewer the better. While sometimes I feel like I speak English like a kindergartner in countries where I don’t know the foreign language and English is limited, I do think there some value in developing the art of speaking simply with few words.
Nice list. I can definitely identify with #4 – short attention span – although I might call it “ability to concentrate anywhere at the drop of a hat”. When you’re on the road, being able to do quality work in 10 minutes, at an airport, seated on a sidewalk, or wherever you might find yourself can make the difference between keeping a client and losing one.
@Colin, I’d certainly agree that a willingness to take risks is crucial for an entrepreneur — even if you aren’t thinking about running a business on the road! Opportunities do show up everywhere, though.
@Audry, I’ve come to rely very heavily on my to-do list for those short bursts of work. If it’s on the top of the list, it’s what I need to be working on. Anything distracting gets written down on the task list as well: when I know I’m going to devote time to emails or journaling about my experiences, I’ve found it easier to get to work.
@Carmen, I think you pointed to a really critical part of the ability to concentrate — it’s not enough just to be able to get down to work. You’ve got to be able to do it among the hustle and bustle of airports, cafes and anywhere else you might be!
Atleast half of this last year has been lived in a suitcase, and I’d say you covered some very good points on mobile working & living!
I also have to agree with Number 4, especially if you’re working in developing countries where the power and internet go on and off at will. You have no choice but to be flexible and work “when the working’s good.”
As far as writing goes, these days I can write almost anywhere, in any temperature, often 40+ with no air-con. You have no choice.
I also get the short attention span issue. I used to be the kind of person who could sit down and concentrate on one task all day, no problem. Now, power cuts and other interruptions force you to stop and start such that I feel this life makes one a little ADHD whether you like it or not. I wrote about this recently at my site where I recorded a typical 2 weeks in the life to give others an idea of the reality of living and working in a developing country.
The entire list rings true of my experience. I’m a techo-phobe but have had to work out how to fix things myself as it’s an 18 hour ride to an expert!
Thanks for writing this. It’s good to know you’re not alone.