The creative life; the life of projects, meetings, and fun events – or at least that’s what you last saw on Instagram. Yes, there are fun things, yes, you do have meetings and other little musings, but, in reality, most of the time in a creative business is spent planning and in certain cases, traveling (but not for fun, just for work!). Not so glamorous huh? (especially when you wake up with massive bags under your eyes from running like a maniac). But hey, it’s all because you are doing what you love! So, it’s just a matter of finding the right tools to make it work for ya :)
For today’s post I partnered up with Uber for their Moving Forward campaign and I’ll share with you a few tips on how I manage to keep my sanity (barely) intact (haha, let’s be real, whose sanity is totally together).
The challenge is that sometimes I gotta go on last minute assignments or meetings and don’t necessarily have time to update everyone on my schedule, especially my boyfriend that lives in Norway and is half a day ahead of me; And yes, even though we text constantly, sometimes you are running around like a maniac and forget to send updates to your peeps.
So, here’s the first tool/tip I use to keep my closest peeps updated on my travels; Uber’s Trusted Contacts. With Trusted Contacts I can select up to 5 family members or friends that can get notifications for the rides I take, and you can even select it so that it automatically gives your peeps notifications for when you’re taking an Uber at night. Easy!
So picture this, a last minute meeting in Seattle (I live in Vancouver), a boyfriend in Norway, and a summer vacation waiting to happen. So, how do we get this done without losing track of time and your sanity? Here’s the scoop:
- Download all your boarding passes to your phone, use a PDF app or your airline app for this.
- Get a travel pocket wifi device so I make sure to stay connected. There are many options online and you can order them and they’ll deliver them directly to you. I use one that’s pay as you go.
- Pack your mobile office in a carry on bag. Do not check your luggage! You wanna be in and out the airport/train station as quick as possible. I use a suitcase with a front pocket that fits my laptop and other small devices.
- Organize your calendar and meetings using one app only and set reminders. When you’re in a rush you tend to forget how long it’ll take to commute, etc.
- Download local guides and or do a quick sweep of Instagram hashtags of the area to find cute spots to visit when you have some free time.
- Download Uber or make sure your app is updated if you already have it.
Add Trusted Contacts within the Uber app. Trusted Contacts can be found in your settings.
When you book a new ride, Uber will prompt an alert for you to share your trip with your Trusted Contacts. Easy!
You can now zoom up and down your meetings without worries. In my case I needed to catch a flight to Oslo to meet my boyfriend to get our vacation started, so it was definitely helpful for him to get updates so he would know I made it to the airport on time and safely (what? Me losing track of time? Oh just a few times a day).
You know what they say, it’s all about working smarter, not harder and with small little tips like the ones mentioned above, you’ll stay organized, safe, and on top of any last minute hurdles.
Now that I made it out of my last minute meeting it’s time for me to enjoy some much needed summer vaca.
Hope you enjoy your travels, wherever they take you!
Post created in partnership with Uber. All views are my own.