10 Tips For Being Productive On Your Next Flight

As you may have noticed, I failed to publish my usual Sunday and Wednesday blog posts this past week. Blame writer’s block. So I spent a good hour today brainstorming new blog post ideas aimed at adding to the ever growing amount of useful tips and life hacks the average person likes to hoard in his or her head, ready to use at the opportune moment.

It may come as a surprise, but I do some of my best work on the airplane to the point that when I have a trip coming up, I actually leave certain projects for in-flight. While it may not be the most comfortable temporary office, there is no better place to crack down on my to-do list than 30,000 feet above the ground where I have zero distractions. With headphones, I’m able to completely zone out and with a specific time frame, I’m able to focus infinitely better. I’d have to say my biggest struggle is fighting sleep, but once I overcome the initial urge to close my eyes, I whip out my laptop and usually wind up producing more content in 2 hours than I do over the course of a week.

Now for the good stuff. My top 10 tips on how to be productive in flight:

1. Make sure to charge your laptop.
   There’s nothing worse than having your computer die mid-project.

2. Don’t forget headphones.
   For the most part, I like to work in complete silence, so I bring headphones just to block out the noise, but music can also be a great way to get in the right headspace.

3. Dress comfortably.
   Yoga pants are my best friend when flying.

4. Update your to-do list the night before.
   I’m a big advocate for doing this regularly since it allows you to dive right into your workload without wasting time figuring out what you need to accomplish during prime productivity time.

5. Stay off the internet.
   While 70% of my job requires internet, in order to avoid distractions, I save the 30% I can do offline for the plane. i.e. writing blog posts, editing pictures, organizing my schedule…

6. Come prepared.
   If you decide to go wifi free like I do, make sure to download or screenshot any documents or emails you’ll need to reference.

7. Choose a window seat.
   This one’s definitely a personal preference, but I happen to like the window seat better and this prevents me from being interrupted by the people sitting next to me.

8. Treat yourself to an unlimited supply of coffee.
   Like many people, I enjoy having coffee while I work so take advantage of the one perk airlines have left.

9. Utilize the time during take-off.
   As soon as you find your seat, get straight to work. You may not be able to use your laptop yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t review your to-do list, check emails, or do whatever it is you’re able to do on your phone. This way you’ll circumvent the temptation to turn on the tv and be fired up as soon as you get the green light to pull out your laptop.  

10. View the flight time as a deadline.
    I work best with deadlines, so by looking at the flight time as a deadline, I’m able to work more efficiently. That said, rather than take on a daunting project, I like to stick to tasks that can realistically be completed in the time frame.  

Have more tips? Leave them in the comments below.

xx Esther