How to Stay Productive On Task When Traveling for Work

How to Stay Productive On Task When Traveling for WorkHow to Stay Productive On Task When Traveling for Work Traveling for work is a common part of our corporate culture. In fact, 1.3 million geschftliches miteinander trips occur each day in the United States alone , and Millennials are set to take 20 percent more business trips in the next 12 months . While traveling has its perks (expensed meals, the thrill of a new city and a change of scenery), it can also pose stress on our daily routines and productivity levels with both our work and personal lives. Planning your next work trip? Here are some tips to keep you on top of your game.Tracy Komlos, founder of Pangea Dreams , uses collaborative tools like G-Suite to help herbei stay organized and connected with her team while on the fly. Apps like HubDoc help her stay on top of her receipts and expenses while traveling so she doesnt lose track of her finances.Komlos recommends certain paid tools such as Streak to help schedule and follow up with emails and clients. She also uses a productivity planner which helps her stay accountable and gives her a productivity score of the day.GoodNote is another great tool that allows you to travel with your digital briefcase while leaving all your paperwork at home.Komlos suggests outsourcing help when you can. Hiring contractors or virtual assistants is one way she outsources the work she needs doneto run her business.If you have active engagements happening at home, make arrangements to have those taken care of while youre away so your mind can focus on the task at hand while traveling.When you have unexpected breaks in your travel schedule, whether its between flights or on the beach, use this time to do low-energy tasks rather than sitting on Facebook. For example, catching up on readings, editing photos or answering emails and other administrative tasks. These 20-30 minutes during the day can save you tons of time down the line.Make a list o f things you know you need to do before you leave, and make those your priority. Creating a detailed checklist of everything you need to do before you leave, and everything that needs to be done while away, will help you feel in control. Since most of our to-dos have become tech-dependent, always plan to stay in a place with a strong Wi-Fi signal.Keep a gratitude journal and make the effort to stay consistent. Books like The 5 Minute Journal can help you mentally prepare for each day.Give yourself enough time to sleep and recharge, and honor when youre feeling like you need a break. Self-care is paramount when juggling your busy lifeIf you wake up early at home, dont use this work travel trip as an excuse to sleep in leave that for the weekend Set boundaries around time-on versus time-off when at work, and do your best to honor them.Get yourself in the habit of waking up early and getting the heavy lifting out of the way. This will give you more hours to get things done and boos t your speed throughout the day.Try to avoid buffet breakfasts, or buffet anything for that matter, while away. Watch your consumption of alcohol as well. Unhealthy eating and drinking makes you tired, and can hinder your sense of disciplineIf youre trying to squeeze in workouts, morning times are your best bet. The longer you wait in the day to hit the gym, the easier it becomes for you to blow it off. If youre not feeling the gym, take advantage of your new travel surroundings, get outdoors and explore the new city youre inThe most important part of staying productive while traveling for work, whether it comes to your personal or professional life, is managing your schedule by planning ahead, and staying disciplined. Find a strategy that works for you, and hold yourself accountable. As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to failStacy Pollack is a Learning Specialist with an MA in Educational Technology. She is passionate about building leadership programs that engage an d contribute to the success of her organization. She loves to share her perspective on workplace development, human resources, career building, and networking for success. Connect with her on LinkedIn , Twitter , or at www.stacypollack.com

Top 10 Space Missions Set to Explore New Frontiers

Top 10 Space Missions Set to Explore New Frontiers Top 10 Space Missions Set to Explore New Frontiers Top 10 Space Missions Set to Explore New Frontiers, parte 1In the good old days, menschlich space flight ruled. But robotic space missions have taken over, and advanced technology is helping us find new planets, better understand our universe, and discover clues to extraterrestrial life.Jeffrey Hoffman, former U.S. astronaut and MIT professor, misses the good old days. When I was flying in space, we were putting 40 astronauts a year, now we are putting four, he laments. Those astronauts are primarily dispatched to the International Space Station for maintenance and scientific research. But Hoffman realizes new technologies enable great advances, including NASAs philanthropisch landing on Mars scheduled for some time in the 2030s. The private sector will also play a key role in spaceflight, especially with contributions from companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, whic h are all striving to introduce new efficiencies and reduce overall costs to the industry. NASAs Mars InSight Lander successfully launched Saturday, May 5, aboard the United Launch Alliance Atlas rocket from Vandenberg Air force Base in southern California on a6-month, 300-million-mile journey to study what lies beneath the surface of the red planet. InSight is scheduled to land on Mars on Nov. 26, 2018,where it will collect data on marsquakes, heat flow, how the planet wobbles, and other information that will help scientists gain a better understanding of the formation and evolution of rocky planets. InSight (short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is the first mission to probe the Martian surface. The operations are scheduled to end on Nov. 24, 2020. Ahandful of other exciting research missions will help us better understand the universe, making menschenfreundlich landings on planets safer, and feeding the publics hunger to explore the final frontier. Here are some of the top current and planned missions from NASA, ESA, and others.Mars is intricate and complex, and it doesnt have just one surface. Its worthwhile studying Mars. Prof. Eric Ford, Penn State1.) TESS TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) launched on April 23. Also called the Planet Hunter, Tess will observe the nearest, brightest stars and possibly discover thousands of exoplanets, from small rocky worlds to giant planets. Many scientists consider TESS the most important launch in years, and itll play a big role in studying the atmosphere and other characteristics of planets. One of its major goals is to discover planets transiting stars, which could otherwise be tough to spot, says Eric Feigelson, a professor of astronomy and physics at Penn State University.TESS will monitor the brightness of 200,000 stars. When those stars dim, it could be due to an orbiting planet, which could lead to the discovery of a new planet. TESS has a wider rang e than its predecessor, Kepler, which discovered 2,343 exoplanets 30 of those were Earth-sized planets within a habitable zone of a star.TESS will also identify promising candidates for detailed follow-up by other powerful telescopes like Hubble and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope to better understand these planets atmospheres, says Natalia Guerrero, TESS researcher at MIT.For You The History of the Apollo Space Suit 2.) James Webb Space Telescope The JWST is scheduled to launch in 2020. A higher-tech and more durable version of its predecessor, Hubble, the JWST will sit 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to provide a deep eye in space, compared to Hubbles orbit of 570 kilometers from Earths surface. The infrared telescope also has more advanced optics, the better to binnensee deeper into new galaxies. NASA will use it to study how galaxies and stars form. A key to analyzing such details is the JWSTs spectrograph, which can provide insight into physical properties of objects in space.The JWST project, costing close to $500 million, is one of the most significant in space research history, Feigelson says. Its cool to discover new planets, but its just as important to understand the science of the universe, like planet mass and measuring distance between objects or between a moon and a planet, he says.3.) OSIRIS-REx This groundbreaking NASA mission has a simple objective of bringing an asteroid sample back to Earth, something that has never been done. The craft is traveling to an asteroid called Bennu, which is believed to contain elements of our solar systems history. OSIRIS-REx will return sometime in the 2020s. Others are also eager to mine the rich resources that may be found on asteroids. Planetary Resources, a private company, plans to launch a spacecraft, Arkyd 301, in 2020 to remotely conduct surface analysis of asteroids.4.) Mars 2020 Rover The Mars 2020 Rover mission is a step to prepare the planet for human exploration. Its scheduled to take of f in July or August, when the planet will be in a good position for NASA to land a robotic mission.The missions centerpiece will be the Rover vehicle, which will conduct surface and environmental analysis, check for water, and perform other tasks like extracting oxygen from the 96 percent carbon atmosphere, which is key in preparation for human exploration. The car-sized Rover is 3 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall, and at 1,050 kilograms is lighter than a compact car. Rover has 23 cameras and sensors to study the characteristics of Mars, as well as antennas that can send information to Earth in five to 20 minutes. Its fueled by the heat of plutonium radioactive decay.Mars is intricate and complex, and it doesnt have just one surface, says Eric Ford, a professor for astrophysics at Penn State. Its worthwhile studying Mars. 5.) ISS The U.S. will end support for the International Space Station in 2024, and its future is uncertain. Today, its the only manned mission in space, says MITs Hoffman.NASA would love to attract more commercial uses of the space station, or have a commercial entity take over, he says. It could be used to train astronauts, since its better to have people in lower orbit than on the moon, he says.Sending astronauts to ISS has several benefits. One goal is to test the health of astronauts staying in space for long periods, sometimes more than six months. Half of ISS is dedicated to space exploration, and the other half to scientific activities. Maintaining ISS, however, is very expensive.Read Part 2 of Top 10 Space Missions Set to Explore New Frontiers to discover more about important space missions.Agam Shah is an associate editor at Mechanical Engineering magazine. You can email him at ShahAasme.org, or follow him on Twitter at agamsh.For Further Discussion

How to Take Vacation When Youre a Freelancer

How to Take Vacation When Youre a FreelancerHow to Take Vacation When Youre a FreelancerEvery worker needs a vacation, a time to recharge your batteries, let your stress levels sink back to tolerable levels, and just plain give your brain and body a rest. When youre a freelancer, you might need a vacation mora than fruchtwein- the very nature of your job means that you can wind up working 24/7, when people who work for employers are enjoying those mysterious things known as weekends and holidays. The challenge, of course, is how to make it happen. When you work for yourself, there are no bosses to approve your time off, but also no co-workers to pick up the slack while youre gone ... and no payroll department to keep those checks coming while youre catching some rays. You might be forgiven for thinking that taking a vacation is impossible in your situation, but the good news is that its really notlage. To pull it off, though, youll need to do a little extra work to make things go smo othly. Heres how. Tips for Taking Vacation When Youre a Freelancer Plan Ahead as Much as PossibleThe farther ahead you can plan, the better. This doesnt mean that you cant ever spontaneously take a long weekend, but for those one- and two-week breaks- the kind that really give you the chance to unwind youll want to plan as far in advance as you can. Vacationing as a freelancer often means putting in more hours ahead of your vacation, and then burning the midnight oil for a bit when you return. Dont make it harder on yourself by trying to do it all on the spur of the moment. More importantly, your clients will appreciate the notice. Working as a contractor is all about maintaining relationships with the people who hire you, and that means being reliable and conscientious and considerate of their needs and goals. Give them a heads up as soon as you can. Theyll appreciate it. Make a Budget Possibly the biggest bummer in the freelance life is the lack of paid time off. Lessen the f inancial hit by making a budget when you make your plans. That way, youll know exactly what youll need to pay for your vacation and absorb the loss of income that results from not working during your time away. If you crunch the numbers, and things come up short, dont give up on your vacation dreams. Sometimes a staycation can be just as relaxing- as long as you commit to not sneakily checking email when youre supposed to be catching some rays on your patio. Ask for HelpDo you have freelancer pals in your field? Nows the time to use them. Over the years, Ive formed sort of informal coop arrangements with friends of mine in the writing and editing space I cover for them when they go on holiday, and they cover for me when I do the same. Of course, the most important considerations when making these types of deals with colleagues are reliability and skill. You need to make sure that their work will reflect well on you so that you dont have to spend your first days back unsnarling a mes s and mending the damage to your client-freelancer relationship. If you dont have day-to-day projects that need looking after, you might be fine without arranging formal coverage for your time off. Just make sure that you let your clients know what to expect, in terms of whether youll be answering email (my advice dont), taking phone calls (ditto), etc. Communicate With Your Clients and Then Communicate Some MoreThis is a situation in which more communication is better than less. Send your clients an email as soon as youre planning to take time off, even if you havent chosen the exact dates yet, and follow up when you know precisely when youll be away. Then send a reminder a week or so before your vacation, reminding them of your coverage plans and asking if there are any last-minute details theyd like you to attend to before you take off. Finally, put up an email away message while youre gone, so that anyone who wasnt on the initial email chain wont think youre ignoring them. Most Importantly Understand That You Need and Deserve a VacationIf youve read this far, you might be reconsidering whether or not its even worth it to take a vacation. It is. In addition to the myriad health and productivity benefits that time off provides, it also reminds you of why you became a freelancer in the first place to be free to enjoy your life, to the extent that most people just cant achieve. Bottom line you deserve a vacation. Plan ahead, communicate considerately and effectively with your clients and enjoy your time off. Youve earned it.