Do these amazing summer days affect your consulting productivity in a good or bad way? Well I’m not sure about you folks, but over the years as a freelance business consultant based in Vancouver (a city known for its cloudy, cold, and rainy weather) I find that when these extraordinary summer days hit the city really want to spend more time outside enjoying life, patios, good food, and the nature the city offers.
I’ve already realized that even though the weather is great, business has to go on as usual. So how have I dealt with this? Well I’ve come up with a few summer fixes so that I can enjoy the weather and still get tons of work done.
1. Arrange Meetings in Good Spots
Vancouver is known for it’s outdoor eateries, patios, and cafes. So what do I do so I can get a piece of the action and still keep the biz moving? I logically offer up meeting spots that have outdoor seating, are near the ocean or a park, or have tons of sunlight and summer breeze passing through the place – this technique alone works wonders.
2. Schedule Your Day Differently
During these lovely summer months I change up my work schedule a bit. So what do I do that’s different? Split my work day into different parts. The first stage is about 8am – 3:30pm, then I work out and enjoy the sun for a few hours, then work a few more hours in the evening after dinner and the sunset.
3. Use Wi-Fi to Your Advantage
These days many cities and towns in North America and Europe have pretty good Wi-Fi connectivity and summer time is a great time to take advantage of the mobile life. If you search around your city you can find some great places to work outdoors or at least with a good view.
A couple places that I enjoy working from are the local library as it’s in a vibrant area of downtown, has tons of natural light, and has free Wi-Fi. I also like going to cafes that have outdoor seating in the shade. I grab a coffee or two and get into an hour or two of work.
Now it’s your turn! Does the weather affect your productivity? How do you deal with it and have you found any tips you can share here with the community?
