This one is two-fold....
1) Traveling makes me better at my job while I’m traveling.
Part of it self-imposed. I want my management and my coworkers to know that I’m not slacking off just because I’m not sitting at my normal desk. I want them to know that I’m not being constantly distracted by the AMAZING ADVENTURES that I could be having just outside my window and that I can focus even in a different environment. I want them to know that I’m still committed to fulfilling my duties and being an amazing team member, even when I’m living my dream life on the road and it would be easy to forget their struggles.
I’m hyper-conscious of these things while I’m traveling because I want my management and my team to be confident in me. I want them to feel comfortable with me executing and collaborating from the road so that they don’t wince when I mention my next trip. And so that they’re excited for me when I plan to go on my next adventure.
2) Traveling makes me better at my job in an ongoing way, even after I get back.
Have you ever heard that learning a new language makes you smarter? From Medical Xpress, “The language we speak represents the world in a certain way. For instance, the English language teaches us that pink is not the same color as red, and grey is not the same as black, whereas blue is just one color, regardless of its lightness. But different languages represent the world differently. For instance, in Italian there are two colors corresponding to the English blue: celeste is light (literally: sky-colored) blue, and blu is dark blue, similar to the distinction between pink and red. So when an English speaker learns Italian he must learn to think about colors differently in order to use the correct word.”
Learning a new language makes you think in a new, expanded way. I think travel has that same effect on me. Getting outside of my box, working different hours, from new locations makes me think in new and different ways. And then I’m able to bring that creativity, new problem solving, new perspective and apply it to everything I do going forward. I seem to have better thoughts, more clarity, deeper conversations when I’m outside of my bubble, especially when it pertains to work, and I get to bring those ideas and clarity home and propel my work forward with them.
Remote Working for Better Work
I know it sounds weird, and potentially hard to believe that being outside of the office makes me more productive or a better worker, but it certainly does.
If you work remotely, do you have the same experience? Let us know on Instagram @FlashpackerCo. If you want to work remotely, here are two great reasons why your boss might want to consider letting you experiment with remote working. You can also check out our Digital Nomad Resources to learn more about how to make the transition, or check out Upwork and FlexJobs for remote work opportunities.
About the Author
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Stephen Gary is the co-founder of Flashpacker Co. He’s been a digital nomad for the past 5 years traveling all across the globe exploring new cities, languages and new passions. Find more from him over on our travel blog. |