Office lady being scared because of too much paperwork to do

1. Don’t overestimate your capacity

Don’t assume you can carry the same regular workload remotely, Campbell says. Most people vastly overestimate how much work they will get done while traveling. She says that’s because we don't account for all the little things that eat up our time, such as trying to find a restaurant or dealing with a slow connection in your hotel room. [Images: Fotolia]
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2. Plan several weeks out

You must plan in advance, at least several weeks out, Campbell cautions, adding that if you wait until two days before you’re about to leave, you won’t have enough time to make arrangements. Take care of any assignments that will be due during your travel period before you leave. Let your clients know they shouldn’t expect any work from you that week, and for a day or two after you return, Campbell advises.
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3. Hand over the keys

If you have staff, select someone to take your place in your absence. This person should be able to answer questions from clients and other employees, and handle any issues with confidence, Campbell says. Keep in mind — your replacement will likely need more than a day or two to learn what he or she needs to know to take over for you, so plan accordingly.
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4. Use snippets of time wisely

Rather than frittering away time by sitting in a lounge at a convention center for 2 hours, use it to get some work done in your hotel room, Campbell suggests. Don’t neglect plane time on long flights. Many planes offer Wi-Fi, so subscribe to a service like Gogo Inflight if it’s available. And if nothing else, she adds, plane time is great for strategy planning and thinking about your business.
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5. Prioritize your emails

In a given week, you might receive hundreds of emails. When you’re busy with work travel, focus just on the important emails, Campbell says. Save the rest to read when you return. The easiest method, she says, is to quickly skim the emails in your inbox and delete any newsletters or promotional emails. Then open the ones from your clients or contacts based on urgency or importance.
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6. Don’t forget your email auto-response.

If your contacts are accustomed to receiving a response via email from you quickly, it’s wise to let them know you might be slower to respond while traveling. Set up your out-of-office to let people who email you know you are traveling, with limited access to email, Campbell suggests.
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