This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine.
I don’t even want to think about how many times I pick up my phone a day. It’s a lot. But it’s something that has become a habit because I run two businesses and a full-time job (mostly) from my cell phone. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to believe that this is my career. But the truth is, becoming a military spouse propelled me into the world of entrepreneurship and remote work. Without the military spouse community, I don’t think I would be doing what I’m doing. I certainly wouldn’t have Jo, My Gosh!… and I don’t know if I would have thought remote work was right (or even attainable) for me.
But I did find the military spouse community, and remote work and entrepreneurship was right and attainable for me. And it is for you too. After seven years of working on the go, I’ve got a few tips that really can work for you.
1. Know when to turn it off
Just because you can do everything from your phone doesn’t mean you should. It’s easy to work all the time, whenever you pick-up your phone, but it’s not good for you, your relationships, or your business. Here are a few suggestions for how to do that:
- Set hours aside that are phone-free and business-free. Set up reminders on your phone and computer if you need to.
- Give yourself permission to take time off. (I do my best not to work on Saturdays and Sundays… and I don’t allow myself to open my laptop on those days either.)
- If you use Facebook Pages, set automatic away messages for your off times.
- Create a daily schedule for routine maintenance tasks… and stick to it.
- Batch schedule your social media and your emails (Gmail now has a scheduling function!) to save time and “work” while you’re relaxing.
2. Be smart with your time
Knowing what to work on from your phone can save you time, energy, frustration, and sometimes money. For example, I can write all of my blog posts for Jo, My Gosh! on my phone… but I hate doing it that way. It’s clunky and frustrating, and quite honestly, I can type on my laptop way faster than I can on a cell phone. Conversely, I use a great Instagram scheduling program that makes more sense to work on from my phone than my computer. Break down your workflow into what you can do on the go and what needs to be done from your office. When you’re stuck in a pick-up line or at the doctor’s office, you’ve got a ready-to-go set of tasks that you can knock off, rather than fumbling around and wasting time.
3. Set up banking on your phone
You might bank from your phone for your personal finances… but do you use it for you business accounts as well? If not, it’s time to get cracking. I use Navy Federal Credit Union‘s business accounts to bank. The process to get everything up and running was easy, fast, and took less than 48 hours from my first call to my account going live. I downloaded the Navy Federal Credit Union mobile app to my phone and am able to pay invoices, transfer funds, cash checks, and check my balances. The mobile app also offers the ability to look up nearby ATMs and Navy Federal branches and apply for other finance products like credit cards and loans. The mobile app gives me the ability to take care of the financial part of my business without needing to be at a computer or a physical, brick-and-mortar branch (which would be tough since I live over an hour away from the closest one!). Maybe the best part? If you have an issue with the mobile app, a quick call to Navy Federal Credit Union can clear it up. (I can’t say enough great things about Navy Federal’s member service.)
