Yesterday I was giving a talk on work and health hacks and one of the women said her boyfriend asked if he could borrow her car. She said this was the equivalent of going into someone's cubicle and asking them if they could drive their desk around all day. I laughed at the analogy because it makes perfect sense! This woman said she had her car organized just like an office – pens go here, paper goes there, etc.
When you are mobile professional your office may be your car, a plane, subway car, hotel, coffee shop, briefcase, laptop bag or even your pockets. It's important to see it this way so you can be organized and productive where ever you are. Just because you are on a plane and you're 6'4 and your knees are up to your chin doesn't mean that you can't get something done. Maybe you can't work on your laptop, but if you prioritize to determine what you can do during that three hour flight the time isn't wasted. If you know that the coffee shop you will be in is loud, schedule your meeting for a time when you will have quiet and work on writing that proposal over a latte.
Find the tools and accessories that work for you. I like the Targus Slim Lapdesk and the Cocoon Innovations Grid-It when I travel (links to reviews on the site).
As for my mobile office? It's stocked with my hangry snacks, a pad of paper, pen, business cards, lip gloss, hand lotion, sanitizer and a Rubberbanditz for when I have a few minutes to get a quick 2-5 minute workout in.
