« Side Hustle School

EXTENDED CUT: Working on the Road

2018-07-25

For more than 10 years, I’ve traveled the world while working on projects every day. This special episode includes 7 lessons I’ve learned, along with a complete list of every tool and resource I use.

What tools and resources do YOU use? Write me at podcast@sidehustleschool.com or @chrisguilllebeau

Share: #SideHustleSchoolShow notes: SideHustleSchool.comTwitter: @chrisguillebeauInstagram: @193countries

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hey there its critical about from sight of small school, bringing you a special episode today. This is in addition to our regular episode. This episode is our fourth extended cock of your number. Two is called tools and sources for working from the road if you are new or also because it's been about a month since our last one every thirty days or so we one of these special episodes for I dive into a particular topic, as requested by you or, if not you personally, at least other listeners. So it's a bit of a different format and the usual story now today, So it is all about a topic that I ask about all the time in different ways: how to work on your site, hustle or any business venture, while you're traveling the world, and that includes whether its time, travel or semi for time nomadic travel or just as an integral
part of your life that also includes a day job. I'm not gonna talk so much about day jobs here, because the whole point of this episode is to show you some practical tools and resources that will make it easier to work from wherever you are so, in other words, the episode kind of assumes that you figured out something got your day job or you're in process of figuring, something out that will allow you to travel more. If that doesn't apply to you at the moment, I'll also give you some core principles of productivity that might serve you. Well, no matter. Your calls previous extended cuts that featured things like how to price your product or service. How to get a book deal how to market your some lessons implied casting how to choose between different ideas: how to build a website in ninety minutes. All kinds of things in the links to all those episodes are at sight of school dot. Com, slash extended There are completely free, you can go and download and listen there. You can also access number of notes or links that resources for each episode at that page. So, once again, outside school dotcom, Slash extended we're in Japan to today I said all about tools and resources for working on the road right after this message from our sponsor, and I really appreciate our sponsors because they allow me in our production team,
ring this and everything else we do unsatisfied school to you completely. Free, so is there a shot out and then I'll tell you all about working on the road support for this podcast comes from octet, What's your mother's maiden name, what's the name of your first pet, we have another question Wire security solution still asking the same verification questions it's its twenty twenty. Time your business, which is to a security solution that not only is bill for this decade, booking guide you into the next one with an identity. Centric up, to security, octet enables innovation, to choose any technology integrated rapidly and deliver a security solutions that provides a seamless experience without making it harder for your employees, often pushes you security forward, but it pushes your bid. This forward as well. So we, ask you one last question: what's your favorite security solution,
learn more about how you can improve your security PA share with the leader and identity driven security at Octoo, dot, com, slash the answer: that's ok, tee a dot com slash the answer, Alright, let's start with their work, this is from citizens contact. I haven't been everywhere. But it's on my list as one of my favorite travel coats of art. I'm an appropriately I'm recording. This episode live from Vienna, Austria, where I've been on a recent trip, as I was making note first episode. I was thinking back on my experience for more than ten years now, I've been traveling the world in writing and connecting with community and doing different price checks, and then it's probably another ten years before that, where I wasn't travelling ass much but I could have been, in other words,
still most of my work on line. I stuck created situations that allowed for maximum flexibility, so I could do something that was important to me for those ten years I was living in West Africa and I guess I was working on the road at that time too, and I remember when this turned into a thing, like the whole concept of being a digital nomad, which is afraid I don't really like, or whenever Fraser Term, that you ve heard just the whole concept of people having different careers that allow them opportunity to travel, I was like ok cool. I didn't know it had a name. You know, like I've, been doing this myself for so long but fortunately not alone in doing this anymore, there are now a lot of people all over the world, pursuing these kinds of unconventional careers or remote work opportunities from their employer. So, let's divide Our examination of this topic in half the first part overall principles, and they give you a few core principles and, in the second part, specific tools and resources. So I think I've got about eight principles go really quickly and then I think also about aid resources. Ok, there's gonna be a lot of info here, but I shall try to be concise and also include links to everything I mention on at Genoa, page core principle number one set yourself:
to succeed, have a goal and a plan or other people's struggle. When they're trying to transport their work, even independent work like something going completely on their own. They have a boss, they really struggle when trying to transport. This work to a different environment when you, a different place. You encounter also to challenges. You got time zones you I'd jet lag internet connectivity, other tech issues, just general confusion or fatigue I just up, and in general, also probably have less time than you expect. If you're trying to see the world you need to see the world if you're trying to fit in other responsibilities. At the same time, those had to be priorities as well. So I say this run off. Not to discourage you, but to remind you that you need a plan. It will help you and other things get in the way or just when you need to make choices everyday. A limited amount of time and energy, really in your best interests, to figure out how to invest that time in energy. Well, so what is working on the road look like for you, what your goal? What's your plan principle number to be intentional about what you plan to complete each day. When there's
happening or if you just easily distracted like me, you need to have a specific idea of what needs to get done so case, I try to work entirely on outcomes and not so focused on how much time it takes to complete those outcomes. I just know that, for example, every day, I have to record aside Us Law School episode, every single data, constant. In my day it doesn't matter whether it takes ten minutes to record the episode or if it takes three or four hours most of the time it takes a lot closer to three or four hours than than ten minutes but the point is, I have that deliverable They try to right at least a thousand words I usually give a talk somewhere each week, so I'm always playing at stuff out as well and by the way, just in case any of that sound. While you you're doing a whole lot. Chris, please understand a lot of other step, has had to fall by the wayside. I do a terrible Joe. Social media. These days, I look at a number of my friend. Unlike rather just crushing and are doing a great job with Instagram Twitter, Facebook. You know everything else out there. My blog is updated far less often than it used to be
I'm not pursuing a lot of other ventures, I'm interested in, like I have a long list of things. I want to do that. I'm just not able to complete right now, because I made the choice to focus on these other outcomes, so be intentional about what you plan to complete each day. Each week, focused for that understand like what are your outcomes principle number? Three, let go of as much as you can, both in terms of physical staff commitments are. Patients and really anything else. Okay, so life is all about choices. Essentially, the forest Gump line is totally true. I mention this other statement about how you can probably do anything you want, if you put your mind to it, but not everything so, Another good habit is to constantly ask yourself: what can I let go of? This is true in terms of stuff when you're traveling, when you're working on the road. Do you need that extra pair of shoes? Do you need an extension cord? Do you need whatever that thing is, if you do great, feel no guilt about, it but you need to go for it. If not, then let it go and leave it at home next time or give it to somebody when you're travelling and of course the same is true for commitments and obligation. So I mentioned social media. I just realized recently. This is something I'm not created for law.
Time years, actually asking myself over I'd like so, and so I just got such a better plan. I really need to make have everything scheduled. I got an extra sell their stuff up. I just decided. Finally, can to figure out what my minimum commitment is to it and southern. I dont like it an existing again. A question of privatisation. Someone adieu my meant a moment and I'm not gonna worry about the rest. I really believe it important to focus on value, like understanding your own values as much as it is figuring out what kind of socks are best to wherever you're too weak round the world trap, I'd rather have the right values and needed by more sock somewhere then have the most efficient hacking set up the most optimal suitcase. It is but have no idea how to actually make a living or what I want to create next or what I should actually be focusing on. So let go of as much as you can. You can focus on what matters number four accept less productivity in exchange for the lifestyle and hears us to illustrate this. In April twenty eighteen I went to the USA, Ye United Arab Emirates. I had a chance to go out
the desert. There s been a few days learning about falcons. I went on a camel track and, of course, not on their I'm working part of the day, but I didn't get as much time as I had hoped for, as I had expected to now should know better at this point. For whatever reason I went to that trip with a long list of stuff- and I did get some things done- it's like I did work at all, but I wasn't able to be as productive as I wanted and at a certain point I just realized. You know what I get the chance to go to the desert and write a camel, and learn about falcons and yes, I wish I could also do more of the work stuff, but I'm here, but you know I had a great experience, I'm going to balance, when I get home and get up extra early, What am I sure, am really crushing stuff out, but you know I do this so that I can do that. So when I get back home or to my next stop, I can focus on catching up. I am to do about and unable to have these good experiences from an imbalance balance in productivity for that lifestyle principle number five capture pockets of time, wherever you can for me. I always have my notebook and found with me most. The time actually have my laptop.
I have it when I'm riding the bus, I have it when I'm the back of a taxi or I'm waiting at the bank or the doctor's office, and whenever I have these little pockets of time, I try to do something I have my my list might do less from Omni Focus, which is a two hour talk about in a moment, but whenever tool, Yes, you have a list of some kind and I try to me. Continue our short term progress on long term goals. That's what I call it like. What is the short term thing I can do that will help me accomplish a long term goal eventually. So speaking of working back of taxis dimensions, I'm recording this in Vienna. Austria are up most of the nose for the episode from the back of an over on reach. A J F k before I was flying out in New York, so like I'm always just trying to capture the times that I can put it to good use, number six speaking a priority. And choices and tradeoffs be sure you care for your mind and your body to on a show us Let's talk about investing in yourself, I think it's really important too make sure you're doing that and the physical and emotional and spiritual as well. I'm not a wellness coach. And say what you should do, what I would say as figure out what you need
care for yourself to be strong and well and in whatever that is, do it. So your planet habit be different than mine. For me, I try to eat. Well, I tried to meditate or try to exercise some. I run at least several times We can't let me have been running almost every day. I tried a practice yoga The other day I generally just try to be active. If you have a fit bat or an apple watch or some kind of smart device, those can be really helpful just in it urging you to get up and walk around for me. If I have some good habits there We have some bad habits because I spend a lot of time in front of a computer. That is the nature of my work, and maybe yours too, so I just try to compensate for help. I can and last principle before I talk about some specific tools. Resources are the summit I used to do my work around the world. This is going to be a good headway, keep as much of your work. Online or in the cloud as possible. This is some in its change me over the years, because when I first by doing this stuff, I don't ten fifteen years ago, whatever it was like everything was stored locally and my computer. If my laptop was lost or stolen or damaged like I would lose a lot.
But these days, like I store almost nothing locally on my computer like if I lose my laptop or if I lose my phone or whatever like, I would still be upset, of course I could go to an apple store anywhere in the world. It would take me less than an hour with a good internet connection to get the same work environment set up. So get in the habit of saving your documents directly to draw box or a box or Google driver Icloud. Whenever tool you prefer in that way. If any goes wrong. Your work has always saved Let's talk about some tools divided into gear and software, because your gear is actually pretty simple. I was just making notes and I was hey wait. There has to be more, but there's really not actually really really simple. Ass mentioned areas is on my MAC, but error that I travel with us, have a different laptop at home
and then an I'm back in my office, but really everything can go with me on my MAC like air, but wish to have access to everything in terms of podcasting. So, of course, I'm making a show every day. The pact testing here comes with me as well. I talked about that in some detail on a previous extended cut. That was all about podcasting, so just the short version of that time. There's a blog post a link up and includes the full list of everything I used to make the show. All of that is also replaceable. It's just like a laptop. So it's also replaceable for in this case I think about six hundred dollars I say, it's replaceable. Of course it's not disposable and not like trying to lose it or have damaged, or whenever I just mean that in the worst case scenario, if something didn't work or if I lost everything, I could pretty easily replaced the whole set up for about six hundred hours, so pretty basic. As I said, I have an Iphone. I have some special glasses I used when I look at the computer for a long period of time I have had sat or some noise cancelling had
and rather from bows, but that's honestly about yet. The only thing I would mention in a gear department is my paper in upper car, which I care I with me everywhere I make less all day long. I always have a list of what I want to do next. I always have a list of ideas. Have a list of things to transfer to my. Top. When I'm back with it or whatever it is in these days more of what I do it, it does, but it still nice to have that paper, not book. It's like a little security blanket for me now Talk about the software and just as a reminder, the links to all this up are satisfied, school dot, com site extended because I've got like twelve different things. Here are some he's gonna go quickly, first, values, dropbox. As mentioned, I try to store everything. There are protection team. Can access them like a protection team in Dc Depression team in Portland they have access to the same stuff. I do, and I worked on the notes from the episodes in Google Docs, which is shared with Whitney, are content manager. And then I transfer things to scrivener scrivener is a writing editing programme that I have written. My last three books with scrivener is local softwares, what sort of my computer, but the file is saved and drop acts, so, in other words, if I lost a computer or lost acts
to it. I would still have all my work. I wouldn't lose my work if the computer was wiped out. Ami focused is my master to do list. My master task list it sinks to all my devices, which has funds and make a little note at my phone and its automatically sink to my laptop works, my Ipad at home. I work with to monetarist. I have a second monitor and all it shows on its second monitor is my list from only focus and so that way I'm just doing stuff. I can look over and unlike ok, what's the next thing, which is helpful if your easily distracted in particular, or if he had eighty d. Like me, I mentioned Google Docs and scrivener. I also use ever notes. I have lots of notes written in ever noticed. Well, I've been experimenting with new program, or at least a new programme for me called highly two. I haven't completely figure out what to do and I went to compared to what I do any other programs yet, but I like the idea of its high when cut up as well.
For audio recording. I use a software program called audacity. It is completely and a hundred percent free for bookkeeping. I use quick books have also used wave and fresh books for some other things before for presentation files I use keynote. All those files are saved in Dropbox are customer. Support is done through help scout, which again is why these helpful resources that multiple people can access from different parts of the world. I can leave There are two members can see the notes and vice versa spent a really useful tool. Years ago we just used to use manual, email and things like help scout, as well as slack or base camp or other tools like that, just like changing its best. If you work with other people, one of my favorite resources is text expand or the last I heard tactics manner is for MAC only. But if you have a pc, I think there's something comparable text expand or is great and allows you to save freedom, written phrases or sentences or information, and then you just write like a little short note in the whole thing will appear so, for example, if I got an email from someone, this has happened then you something in the mail. What's your address when I reply that message
just right address and I put a little exclamation point next to it. That's my short covert text expand or to fill my whole address. So I just replies that hey thanks so much here's my address my address boom automatically there and you can do that with signature files. You can do that with frequently used responses. You can do that with any tax that you use frequently, it will change your life and up you save a lot of time on my also use a tool called be focused, which is really really simple this is just a little app that cost five dollars in the app store. It's a countdown timer that you set along with a specific task and when you set the timer, you commit yourself to rolling at work on that task until the time is up and it keeps up with a number of tasks that you worked on each day. So you can see it build up is fun. I use a vpn, which is virtual. Private network are the one I use is called tunnelbear. This is really helpful if you're using public, WI, FI networks, if you're working from cafes or just out and about to not not just in the world in general, but relief, even from your hometown, when you're using open networks, they aren't secure and potentially anyone else can get access to whatever you're doing so using a view,
and will prevent that or at least make it harder, it also prevents your internet service provider or the say or any other government agency from seeing what you're doing so again, the one I use is called tunnel pair and last but not least, on four for conference cause or other calls and meetings around the world virtual meetings, I use zoom or Skype. So Skype is a gold standard, it's free or close to free. I think I probably paid about ten dollars a year for Skype over the past decade, so super and for more professional sow meetings. Zoom has been greatest while they have a free option. They also have a paid option, of course, which is more than ten dollars a year. So again lots If there is one thing that you heard, it would be interesting whatever it is, like it all off, of course, on its side, Skoda COM extended page So, in conclusion, Lhasa principles, lots of resources- I realized it- must support, Everyone needs to find a situation that works best with them. I know that a lot of our listeners aren't in a situation of have travelling full time or even travelling a lottery, maybe even wanting to travel, and I told respect that, but for those who,
the situation or for those who want to begin finding a rhythm to be able to travel, not working on side projects. I hope this was helpful, like us, had, even if not have witnessed some kind of productivity or other help the somewhere. Do let me now, of course, and let me know what kind of tools used as well. I would like to share some recommendations with our listeners. You can always write me, a hot cast, etc. So Skoda, com or just go to stifle Skoda Common sent me a message from their last but not least, I didn't talk about travel hacking and this episode. So here's a quick tap just as an overview getting free fly, hotel stays can make your travelling like much easier and my early days, I was a very, very fertile traveller, often staying in hospitals or even sleeping on the floor, the airports and on the ground outside long story, but I always looked forward to using my points check into a hotel and catch up on work in a more stable environment. So we're out of time for today, but I did want to mention it will include a link or two on China. Its pages well look into it and we may also do a future extended cut all about that topic most important. If I don't get a chance to say this very often thank you for being here
this community. Thank you for listening to satisfy school. It is a privilege and honour to make this show for you every single day, whether I am in Vienna, whether I'm running from the back of an over on the way to the airport. Oliver, the robber says what I'm working on, and I am really glad to be able to share it with you. So thank you for that are the best to come, keep listening and I'll. See you next time. Thank you.
Transcript generated on 2020-04-28.