Our lives are becoming increasingly mobile and mobile technology allows us to do more things no matter where we are and what time it is. This possibilities lead to an increase in digital nomads and it will have a significant impact on personal and professional lives because you are now indeed able to work anytime and anywhere (and your boss expects you to do that). Of course on the other hand we can move around more while still getting things done and are not tied to to one certain location.

In case you are preparing for your next mobile working trip, here are some tips that can help you get the most out of your time where ever you are.

1 Downsize your equipment

The first thing you have to do when you want to work anytime and anywhere is to downsize. This not only means to get smaller electronic devices but also to strictly reduce the number of things you are carrying around with you. It starts with the notebook you want to bring, then it is the charger, then the mouse, maybe some documents, then headphones, an additional battery, a book to read, an mp3 player. your mobile phone. Too much.

You have to realize that when you want to work anytime and anywhere you have to downsize and only bring the things that are really essential. Even though it might be difficult to let go of the different devices in the beginning , you will soon realize that it is much easier to to work and travel with less.

2 Backup your data

When you are working mobile you have to keep in mind that your equipment will be used more intense than if you just sit at your desk in your office. This does not just mean the outside of your devices but also what is inside your devices for example also the hard disk. The little movements to your notebook while working on a train can gradually have an impact on your hard disk and render it useless. An additional risk is of course that your equipment might get stolen and you lose not just your devices but also your data which can – compared to you your devices – not be replaced anymore.

Therefore it is essential that you regularly backup your data. Keep your mind free from worrying and ensure that you are able to restore all data to the point when you left for your mobile working trip in case you lose any data while you are on the road.

3 Prepare for traveling

Every trip is slightly different and requires a different kind of equipment. Are you just planning to work for an hour while waiting for a connecting flight? No charger needed, maybe backup battery. Traveling all day long between different locations with the chance to charge your notebook? One battery plus charger. Going to spend some time in a crowded place? Better bring your MP3 player and headphones.

Consciously planning your and thinking about your oasis, the places where you can take a rest and recharge your devices,  will allow you to bring only the things that you need and that you can use during the trip. You don’t need to bring a charger if you know that there won’t be any place or time to charge your notebook.

4 Go completely digital

Are you still carrying paper documents around with you? All the print-outs of emails, memos, presentations that you would like to read while on the road  – you don’t need them. If you drastically want to increase your mobility you should get rid of any paper documents that you still carry around with you. It is just unnecessary, you will have a mess in your bag and after reading through the documents you are going to throw the documents away anyway. You can buy a scanner to scan documents, sketches or comments written on paper. But for everything else it is probably not worth the effort to print a document and bring it with you all the way of your journey.

5 Back Office Support

Even though you can plan and prepare a lot in advance, things will go wrong from time to time and you will be stranded without Internet, maybe without mobile phone and still have to make it to the next appointment. In these case it is very helpful to have an artificial back-office that can do certain tasks for you. Also if you need to change flights or need a table reservation in a restaurant, some back-office support can be very helpful. While it is too expensive for many to hire a full assistant, the increasing availability of virtual assistants through sites like elance.com make it affordable for everyone to hire a virtual assistant.

6 Plan for Flow

When you are constantly on the move it might be sometimes difficult to find the time to really work on the big tasks that need more focus and concentration that we have available while when we are moving from one place to the next. In order to find the time to also work on the important task that are not urgently important, you need to plan for it. Everybody needs something different but the most important helper to get into flow mode are my noise cancelling headphones. Noise cancelling headphones reduce ambient sounds through active noise reduction. With these you can work anytime and anywhere and can easily get into flow mode because most outside distractions are cut off and you can focus just on the task in front of me.

7 Mobile Internet

There are many different solutions available to get emails delivered to your mobile phone, one of the most sophisticated ones is through your BlackBerry. Additionally you can access most website also through your mobile phone. But sometimes you still need to access a website with a real browser and then it is helpful to have mobile Internet available. You can do this either by tethering your mobile phone to your laptop or you can buy a dedicated mobile data card that connects your notebook with a 3G network.

8 Easy packing

When you are moving a lot you will quickly realize that you take your devices very often in and out of your bag. Therefore it is essential to have a bag that supports quick and easy packing while storing everything safely in one place. I am personally not a big fan of bags with too many compartments because I need to do a check whether I have all my things with me. Therefore I have a plain notebook bag with two compartments and a front bag. With this I am usually really fast to find my things I have a perfect overview where my things are.

Images courtesy of [Pascal \o/ - lagarde.info and MichaelMarlatt]