Going to the airport isn\u2019t what it used to be.<\/p>\n
Whether travelling domestically or internationally, you\u2019ve got to get there hours in advance. Then, after enduring the ever-winding security lines, the shoe-belt-laptop dumps, not to mention the occasional prods, pokes and pat downs \u2014 you\u2019re still facing time at the gate with seemingly nothing to do but wait.<\/p>\n
Or not.<\/p>\n
Recently, I decided to mentally \u201cre-frame\u201d my wait at the airport. Instead of feeling victimized and trapped, I now feel empowered. I\u2019ve taken control of this chunk of time\u00a0and made it my own. In some ways, I\u2019m more productive at the airport than I am in the office! You can be too. Here\u2019s how to increase your productivity the next time you\u2019re at the airport.<\/p>\n
1. Bring your gear<\/strong>: I\u2019m not talking about your Fitbit or your ski goggles. I\u2019m talking about what you\u2019ll need to stay connected and plugged-in on your trip: Things like your phone charger, power cord, and noise-canceling headphones.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Don\u2019t forget to download:<\/strong> You can never be sure about available connectivity. If you have an important email, webinar or podcast you\u2019ve been meaning to view, download it now so you can view it offline at any time.<\/p>\n 3. Set up your airport office:<\/strong> Of course, the best place to get your work done is at an airport lounge. If you have a free pass to your airline\u2019s lounge, go there. They have everything you need to set up your office base: desks, data ports, computers, Wi-Fi, fax machines, snacks and sodas. If you don\u2019t have a pass, consider buying (or expensing) a 1-day pass; most lounges offer this.<\/p>\n 4. Seek out electrical outlets:<\/strong> If you don\u2019t have access to an airport lounge, check out other quiet spots, like an internet kiosk, a quiet restaurant, or even a chapel. Wherever you go, you\u2019ll need an electrical outlet.<\/p>\n 5. Set your alarm:<\/strong> Determine the time you need to get up and go to your gate for boarding. Set a time with your cell phone so you don\u2019t miss the last boarding call.<\/p>\n 6. Make two lists:<\/strong> Whether you have a short wait or a long layover, make a list of the tasks you hope to accomplish pre-flight. Then, make a second list of the more intense tasks you can accomplish while up in the air.<\/p>\n 7. Set a timer:<\/strong> Give yourself some easy work to do and allow between 15\u00ad\u201125 minutes per task. Between each accomplished task, take a 5-minute break to clear your mind. Stretch your legs, go for a short walk, or grab a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n 8. Clean out your inbox:<\/strong> How many times have you promised yourself you\u2019d organize and empty out your inbox? You\u2019ll be amazed at how both your mood and your productivity will increase with a clean and tidy inbox!<\/p>\n 9. Keep your cell phone handy:<\/strong> Especially if you are working far from your gate, you\u2019re going to want to get that ring or ping from the airline informing you of any delays or cancellations. (More time for you to get work done, yay!)<\/p>\n 10. Make your calls now:<\/strong> Airports are not the best place to hold lengthy conversations or conference meetings. Nevertheless, you\u2019re not going to be able to talk on the phone once you\u2019re up in the air. So, if you need to impart some brief but important information, do it now before your plane takes off.<\/p>\n 11. Catch up on your reading:<\/strong>\u00a0You probably have material you\u2019ve only glanced at that require your full attention\u2014 stuff you just haven\u2019t had the time to concentrate on. But now you do, so get to it.<\/p>\n 12. Listen & watch:<\/strong> Remember that Ted Talk you meant to watch but didn\u2019t? Or that quarterly report meeting you missed? Now\u2019s the time to catch up on your videos, podcasts, and webinars.<\/p>\n 13.<\/strong> Buckle down on the busywork:<\/strong> The airport may not be an ideal setting for writing your firm\u2019s annual report, but you can certainly take care of the small stuff \u2014 like organizing your files, updating your expense reports, or even logging your client activity in your CRM.<\/p>\n 14. Personal grooming:\u00a0<\/strong>If you\u2019re on your way to an important meeting, you need to look and feel your best. Many airports have gyms, yoga and massage studios, hair and nail salons and, yes, even the ubiquitous shoeshine stands. None of this can hurt when you\u2019re trying to make a good impression!<\/p>\n What are your favorite airport productivity tips? Share them with us in the comments section below.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Going to the airport isn\u2019t what it used to be. Whether travelling…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":5053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[173,187,175,193],"class_list":["post-4945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productivity","tag-organization","tag-personal-productivity-style","tag-productivity","tag-travel","option-evergreen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redbooth.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Settle In After Checking-in<\/h2>\n
Tips & Techniques<\/h2>\n
Pilot Your Productivity<\/h2>\n