Not having Internet access is somewhat difficult to imagine nowadays, whether it comes to your social life, or the professional part of your day. Staying productive on a long train trip can quickly turn into a nightmare without any access to the online world. Luckily, with a bit of preparatory work and planning, keeping things going in a world of business while offline is more than manageable. Here are some tips on how to stay productive, even without access to the Internet.
Windows’ Offline Folders
This smart feature allows you to select folders on network for offline use. After you’ve marked these, the folders and files in question are downloaded onto your laptop’s (or tablet’s) hard drive. This downloaded data is now rendered accessible and independent of being connected to the Internet.
Have What you Need Available in Print
Even though the age of printed documents is trembling before technological giants such as laptops, kindles and nooks, it is nice to recall how stabile and reliable hard copies tend to be. If you’re going for a long flight, chances are that your laptop battery won’t survive it throughout. Although a stack of printed paper tends to be robust and physically inconvenient to travel with, it is also the most reliable way to gain access to your necessary data, whatever your line of work is – from a script writer to a business executive.
Use Your Time Offline to Tackle Neglected Tasks
Even though most of the business related tasks are heavily interlocked with the availability of Internet, it might be good to know that there still are things out there that need your attention, but are unrelated to your web connection. Use this time to read up on your travel expense reports, a variety of literature that is related to your life as a professional, rethink your business plan, short-term, medium-term, as well as long-term goals and consider your general strategy or strategies. Not only is there a plethora of things to do while offline, but you should consider making an offline window of your day in order to catch up with these things.
Answer emails
You can cover your offline time with answering emails in draft mode. Microsoft Outlook can display your emails, even contacts tasks and calendar without connecting to the Exchange. All you need to do is type your responses and the system will automatically send your mail, once there’s an available internet connection.
Return phone calls
Instead of having to set aside some time to answer missed phone calls daily, you can do this while you’re offline.
Offline Cloud
Some cloud-based software, such as Google Drive and the pCloud storage app, offer options of offline storage of folders and documents. This offers you a perpetual access to your files, as long as you have your device of preference by your side.
Give Yourself a Break
In order to remain fully productive, the mind has to be rested at all times. What better time to unwind and relax than when circumstances dictate periods of being offline? Listen to music, go out for a jog to clear your mind of all the clutter or simply relax and meditate. Assess your health and exercise programs and try and rid yourself of a world of stress. This will give you a better perspective on things, while paying compliments to your body, as well as your spirit.
There is a ton of things to do when you are not connected to the Internet that do not entail procrastination and idleness. Tick off all the tasks that are manageable offline and give yourself some time to unwind – trust us, you need this.