There’s nothing quite like being your own boss, right?

After all, it’s the ultimate dream to set your own hours, work on your own terms and prioritize your team accordingly.

However, travel plans and vacation can quickly throw a wrench into your otherwise productive schedule. While traditional nine-to-five gigs come with benefits and paid time off, those working on their own terms rarely receive such a luxury. Oftentimes, we have no choice but at least get some work done while we’re traveling to ensure that our business stays afloat.

But how do you do this without totally stressing yourself out or potentially ruining your vacation? With the following three tips in mind, you can find a balance between work and play while you’re on a vacation or long-term trip.

Define Designated Hours to Work

This tip is without a doubt the most important. You need to plan ahead and decide day after when you’re going to work and how many hours per day than you plan on being on the grind. If you’re wishy-washy about committing to a schedule, you’ll inevitably miss deadlines or put yourself in a situation where you have to stay up all night to meet your commitments.

The secret is prioritizing productivity. When you’re focused and able to commit to what you’re doing distraction-free, amazing things can happen. For example, investing guru Tim Sykes notes that becoming a full-time penny stock trader requires only a few hours per day when you’re able to zero in on wants versus needs in terms of time.

Think about it like this: once you’ve finished all of your work for the day, you’re free to do whatever you want. Prioritize your productivity first thing in the morning or whenever is appropriate, finding a quiet place to work uninterrupted where you won’t be disturbed. If you can’t commit to this, you may need to rethink your trip.

Use Downtime to Your Advantage

Whether you realize it or not, vacations often result in tons of downtime in between activities or meals. Beyond your dedicated work schedule, consider other times where you could knock out some work when you’d otherwise be doing nothing such as sitting at the airport or in the evening when your family is simply relaxing in a hotel room. You certainly don’t have to work during these times, but if you’re bored and have nothing better to do, why not?

Don’t Obsess Over Your Email

If you’re sticking to the tips above, you shouldn’t need to worry about checking your email constantly. Consider setting up an “out of office” autoresponder to remind clients you’re on vacation and only look at your email during your dedicated hours. Most people will be respectful of your schedule as long as you give them a head’s up; likewise, 90% of your emails could probably wait, anyhow.

If you need to keep the gravy train rolling while you travel, these tips will make the task seem much less daunting. While your business certainly should come first in many situations, don’t squander a vacation because you didn’t plan ahead. Sticking to these tips allow you the best of both worlds: business and pleasure.

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