How to Manage Your Side Hustles While Traveling for Work
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Chapter 1: Navigating Work and Travel
Balancing multiple responsibilities while traveling can be quite demanding.
If you share my experience, corporate travel can be quite taxing. The constant shift across various time zones can disrupt your internal clock, leaving you disoriented for the first few days. Moreover, your travel schedule dictates your time, often leaving little room for personal endeavors.
To manage side hustles effectively, meticulous planning is essential, especially when you're running a solo venture during the 6-to-9 hours.
You definitely don’t want to lose clients while traveling for work.
A Personal Narrative: My Three-Week Journey
Does this sound familiar? I recently arrived in Singapore after spending a significant portion of March abroad, visiting corporate branches in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Japan. This trip was crucial for assessing the operational efficiency of our offices, establishing new opportunities, and ensuring customer issues were promptly resolved.
My team and I visited various centers and offices daily, commuting from one location to another. My evenings were consumed with compiling, reviewing, and submitting reports to our Regional Headquarters in Singapore, often working from 6 AM until around 11 PM with barely any time left for my side projects.
Understanding Your Limits
"Not that smart. Not that hot. Not that nice. Not that funny. That's me: I'm not that." — John Green
For those experiencing similar struggles, I offer a straightforward piece of advice: assess your work commitments without compromising quality.
For me, I can manage around 14 to 15 hours of work effectively. I can push myself further with short breaks and a full night’s sleep, but exceeding 17 hours with less sleep leaves me drained the following day. Therefore, maintaining balance is crucial for my productivity.
Once you identify your limits, you're ready to move forward.
Methods to Balance Side Hustles and Day Jobs
- Request Your Travel Itinerary Early
Always ask your boss or administrator for your travel plans at least a month in advance. This allows you to prepare effectively.
- Pre-Fill Your Calendar with Travel Details
Identify travel dates, commute times, and time zone changes to mark off when you’ll be unavailable. I do this to avoid headaches that come from trying to work while in transit, and to ensure I’m well-rested before flights.
- Schedule Time for Your Side Hustles
It’s crucial to block off time for your side projects well in advance of your trip. If you wait too long, you may find yourself missing deadlines due to unexpected meetings.
- Plan for Project Work
If your side hustle includes project-based tasks, aim to complete your work before you leave. Projects require deep concentration, which can be hard to achieve while traveling.
- Manage Face-to-Face Interactions Wisely
As a fractional Chief Pitching Officer for a startup, my role requires me to meet with investors and clients. I take calls while traveling, but I schedule in-person meetings at times when I’m most alert.
- Utilize Virtual Assistance for Prospecting
If your side hustle involves prospecting, consider hiring virtual assistants. They help maintain your outreach efforts even when you're away, allowing you to review reports from Hubspot to track progress.
Summary
Managing side hustles while traveling can be challenging, but understanding your limits and strengths is essential. While I can’t work effectively on the move, I can take calls. My productive time is when I'm in the air, so I prioritize sleep before flights.
By planning ahead, we can achieve success in both our side hustles and our day jobs.
About the Author:
As a contributor, I share insights from my life experiences and business exposure. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter!
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