Being productive can be a challenge for everyone - especially when you're an up and coming digital nomad. How can it not; when the sun hits you just right and the waves are rolling ever so nicely in the background, who could help to not order a cold beer and lounge a bit (or maybe a lot). As someone with a relatively short attention span, I understand your struggle and as such, I have compiled a list to help you stay productive as a digital nomad no matter where you are in the world.
If your main goal is to visit all of the museums in Jakarta, to exploring the culture of Kuala Lumpur, or other travelling agenda, then that should be what you are doing instead; travel. To be a digital nomad, you are required to find a balance between working and visiting the sites and not just someone on vacation checking their emails every once in a while. This requires for your mindset to be at the right place and actually wanting to be productive, meaning that you would need to set a couple hours a day to tend your business, to finish a job or two and many other things to keep up with this lifestyle. Remember that when everything is done and dealt with, your 'playtime' would be exponentially more rewarding than before.
Many digital nomads choose to work as such because it requires less financial power to live with a certain lifestyle in a cheaper country, such as within Southeast Asia. This can be great, except for the obvious lack of certain infrastructure most of the time, like WiFi. A couple things that you could do is to make sure to choose a great SIM card with internet packages for your smartphone, which usually already come with a tethering option for your other devices. Another option would be to rent out portable WiFi from time to time, which does not burn a hole in your pocket most of the time. After all, it is called remote working, not working in remote.
Let me tell you a horror story. One day I was going home on a motorcycle driven by my friend. All of a sudden, a big pour starts and to say that we were wet is an understatement. The worst part, though, later that night I tried to start up my laptop that night and let's just say, the fact that it didn't blow up is a miracle. Trust me, get a waterproof bag, be it a backpack, a messenger bag or whatever you fancy. The last thing you would want is to be in a remote area without working technology to help you move along for a couple of days. Would it cost more than a normal bag? I'm pretty sure it does. But buying and replacing a dead laptop would be more expensive, don't you agree?
Last, but most important, is finding a suitable work environment. There are plenty of coworking spaces all over the region that offer flexible leases and cost-effective rental options to suit any need. What's more, there are membership options that give you access to a whole host of coworking spaces with just one pass. One example is FlySpaces Passport. Depending on your package, whether it's a city-specific one or regional, you can gain access to some of the top coworking spaces around Southeast Asia with a customizable plan. This way you can ensure that you have an effective workspace where you can focus on your tasks, and even potentially meet new people. Plus, it gives you that separation between work and life so once you're done with work you can pack up your stuff and head on to your next adventure.
There we go. You are now set to sail away to the Pacific, explore the temples of Bali or eat some suckling pig in Philippines, all the while maximizing profit of your business thousands of miles away. One more tip though; take lots and lots and lots and lots of pictures. This experience would be one for the books, for sure.
If you are interested and have some questions about Passport by FlySpaces, don't hesitate to contact us and we'll help you out with all of your needs!