Elite Road Warrior with Bryan Paul Buckley

Become An Elite Road Warrior and Master The Business Travel Life

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Six Meaningful Words to Communicate Consistently with Those Back Home

Most of us nail the Focus Area of Work. And we have the stress, exhaustion, and the weight gain to prove it. Some of us are better than others in the Focus Area of Health.

I know many road warriors who are great at Home Life for a while, regress, bounce back, regress – you get the point.

But the Focus Area of Home Life separates the men from the boys if you will. For the longest time, I was what we call at Elite Road Warrior Group, a Check-In Guy. I did the bare minimum of the text/call/video chat. There’s nothing wrong with these and I still do them each and every business trip.

Here’s where I went off-road with my thinking – I viewed the road and the limitations:

  • I can’t eat healthy on the road
  • I can’t get in a good workout on the road
  • I can’t do more than just text/call/video chat if that at all while on the road

Lies Nothing but Lies!

Why? Because you can leverage the road to improve your road life in all three focus areas: Work / Health / Home Life.

As well as ALL six energy habits:

  1. Move
  2. Fuel
  3. Rest
  4. Perform
  5. Develop
  6. Connect

And here’s the reason: Every Can’t has a Can.

There are opportunities the road can and does offer you if you look for them.

The key is two things:

  • Finding them and…
  • Leveraging them

For example, when I’m on the road I don’t have a house full of kids and a wife trying to rush out the door to work as a school teacher. I’m not dependent on what the kids want for dinner or if my wife is in the mood to cook tonight or not.

On the road, the early morning is all mine – I can do any of the following:

  • Sleep in (especially if I drank too much the night before but of course, never intentionally)
  • Checked text and email on my phone in bed
  • Watched CNN / Fox News
  • OD on coffee and have a sugar-filled breakfast

Or I can…

  • Read (energy habit 5 – develop)
  • Journal (energy habit 5 – develop)
  • Workout (energy habit 1 – move)
  • Eat a healthy breakfast (energy habit 2 – fuel)
  • Be intentional, thoughtful, and creative with the fam (energy habit 6 – connect)

I’m not just speaking necessarily about your morning routine but it goes to prove you can leverage your morning to do what you want to do.

Every CAN’T has a CAN and you need to find the can and leverage it.

So, let’s drill down on Connect energy habit.

Many of us have significant others and children back at home. And if we’re honest, we’re just getting by and not getting better in those relationships while we travel. I know it was definitely the case for me with my wife and kids.

Until… I started being intentional, thoughtful, and creative to leverage the road to connect with my wife and kids in ways I wouldn’t normally do back home but would be very meaningful to them while I’m gone.

And I’ve learned over time and often the hard way, that words matter especially when I’ve taken the time to make them mean something.

Now, my kids, especially my high schoolers, won’t admit it and I’m grateful for a “yeah” or “okay” or a simple grunt. But I know they listen to and read everything that is sent to them.

And my wife who is a single mom when I’m gone even though she’s busy and stressed with all the extra responsibilities still appreciates when I’m intentional, thoughtful, and creative.

As a result, I’ve found there are six words that if and when I communicate them on a consistent basis are a game-changer on letting those I love back home know I truly care and am thinking about them even when I’m on the road.

 

What are the Six Meaningful Words to Communicate Consistently with Those Back Home?

These six words will not be new to you. They’re nothing out of the ordinary.

But… when they’re communicated while you’re away, they mean so much more to the recipient. And the longer they’ve not been said, the more they will mean. Water to a parched soul.

You may be asking who are these words for?

Personally, I communicate these six words to my wife and my wife. The context is what changes.

Here they are and in no particular order:

Word One – Thinking

The Sentence – I’m Thinking of You because…

The Why – Your absence is noticeable

Admit it, we’re busy, sometimes beyond busy on any given business trip and some days are a blur in and of themselves!

But those back home have the same work, school, and home routine they always do.

They miss your presence. So when you can let them know you’re thinking of them and why it matters. When I say these words to my wife, she’s reminded she’s not forgotten on the road.

Example: I’m thinking of you because this place would be so much better if you were here.

Word Two – Appreciate

The Sentence – I Appreciate You for…

The Why – to show you value their efforts

It’s easy to be in a relationship and simply take it and that individual for granted. I was guilty of this one for a long time.

But I need to let especially my wife know how much I appreciated her:

  • Taking care of the kids while I’m gone
  • Taking care of the house while I’m gone
  • Handling difficult situations while I was gone

Never assume they know you appreciate them. Remind them consistently and in creative ways.

Example: I appreciate you for taking care of the home while I’m on the road

Word Three – Proud

The Sentence – I’m Proud of You for…

The Why – Affirmation must be spoken

These were words I longed to hear from my father. They came once in a while and in different ways. Often it came from my dad telling them to other people who sometimes told me. But what meant the most was hearing or reading it directly from him.

Our significant others need to hear “I’m Proud of you for…” but especially our kids. Another way of saying it is, “I’m impressed with…” Thinking the word PROUD or IMPRESSED is just not enough. We must learn to say it and on a consistent basis!

Example: I’m proud of you for being such an incredible mother.

Word Four – Miss

The Sentence – I Miss You because…

The Why – We need to be longed for

This word is important because oftentimes, we’re not left back in the ordinary world.

What my wife would do to stay in a Courtyard Marriott or Embassy Suites. Drive my cool rental car. Eat most of the meals cooked for her at a restaurant. Have a completely quiet morning or evening before bed not fighting with the kids to just go to sleep!

My wife needs to know that I would rather be home eating leftovers than eating the 4th night in a row at a restaurant.

My kids need to know I miss being at their weeknight practice or game or school event. This word matters more than we think even if we do we say it a lot.

Example: I miss you because I would rather be with you than anyone else right now.

Word Five – Need

The Sentence – I Need You because…

The Why – We depend on them for everything at home

Let’s not be confused with you being needy. It reminds me of Bob Wiley from the movie with Bill Murray called What About Bob. We may have more Bob Wiley in us of “Gimme Gimme” and “I Need I Need” – and the road can create that in us when we’re being served everywhere we go.

But those back home need to hear they’re needed by us as well. We depend on them to take care of the home while we’re away. Saying I need you is not a sign of weakness but of strength. We may be ALL THAT on the road but we need those back home to take care of the home.

They must hear our need for them and how much that matters to us. Another word you could use is DEPEND.

Example: I need you because I act like I can do it all but I need your help when I’m gone.

Word Six – Love

The Sentence – I Love You because… or I love it when you…

The Why – We all want to know we’re loved

Men are the worst at this one. We secretly believe what one man once said “I told my wife I loved her when we got married and I told will let her know if it ever changes.” Not cool, man.

Being loved is core to our being and it’s one of the easiest words to avoid saying or we say it flippantly or loosely. This is why completing the sentence, “I love you because…” “I love you for…” or “I love when you…” is very important for this word.

Example: I love you because you always put others before yourself / I love it when you’re so excited to see me when I come home.

But how do we say these words on the road…?

Let’s transition to…

Three Ways to Communicate These Six Words

Words are a challenge especially for me. So here are 3 ways to communicate these words:

1.Writing

  • Text
  • Postcards
  • Connect Cards
  • Not Forgotten Journal – where you can write to a loved one on your business trips to bring home with you showing them that they haven’t been forgotten.

2. Audio

  • Pre-recorded
  • Random through the day

3. Video

  • Pre-recorded
  • Early in the morning
  • Before bed especially if I couldn’t do FaceTime in the evening

I usually brainstorm these during a Think Space time and write them in my Elite Road Warrior Branded Journal in the Think Space section.

Pro Tip – the more you can do non-live the better – why? This allows them to read, listen, or watch over and over again.

We underestimate just how much our words matter to those back home.

You Got This! Words matter big time…

The Biggest Misconception to Master the Business Travel Life

When I first started as a business traveler a long, long time ago, I took my Type A, driven personality to a whole new level.

It was unleashed on the “open road” if you know what I mean.

I dove into this new opportunity that now included traveling the country and eventually certain parts of the world.

And I loved it.

I already went 100 miles an hour at home and now I was given the freedom to do the very same things on my own on the road.

Brilliant!

And I met hundreds and hundreds of business travelers who validated my theory.

Drive.

Drive..

Drive…

Personal Drive which was inner.

Road Drive which was outer.

And I poured myself into my work.

Nobody could and would outwork yours truly on the road.

And if I found out you did, I would sleep less and try to wear you down.

I even coined a phrase I use often called the Travel Triangle:

  • Airport
  • Board Room
  • Hotel Room

Wash – Rinse – Repeat.

And between us girls, I got good and I mean really good at the Travel Triangle.

I prided myself on not being outworked and killing it on the road.

But here is the biggest misconception I thought to master the business travel life.

Are you ready for it?

It’s all about WORK.

Um, excuse me. Aren’t you there to work?

After all, it is called BUSINESS Travel.

Touche.

But not ONLY work.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is not a free pass to slack off.

But let me repeat, the biggest misconception to master the business travel life is it’s not only about work.

I believed this lie for far too long.

I went from a not so suite job to c-suite.

I had the cheap rental cars and lousy hotel rooms and fast food meals to living large and driving cool cars right up to my plush hotel, eating the best of the king’s food and drinking the best of the king’s wine.

But in the end, believing this misconception, business travel is only about work, almost took two very important parts of my life.

Let me tell you how I found out first of all.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve always gone 100 miles an hour in my life and it manifested itself with business travel.

I could get more done in a day than the average guy.

More trips.

More presentations.

More meetings.

More emails.

More calls.

I was up late and up early.

This high-performance car showed no signs of any deterioration.

At least on the outside.

Nothing but praises and raises were given to this high performer.

But then when I turned 40, things internally were going wrong.

I was getting very strange symptoms:

  • Heart racing
  • Flush face
  • Eyes glazed over
  • Migraines
  • Diaherria
  • Inability to absorb content
  • Sleeping and never feeling any effects of the rest
  • I went to the doctor and they told me the good news: we can’t find anything wrong.

Then they told me the bad news: we can’t find anything wrong.

And you know what I did after that?

Absolutely nothing.

I went harder.

And harder.

For years.

Until age 45, my body shut down and shut down hard. A complete and utter engine blowout.

It was like I turn a turn marked 30 and I slowed down from 100 to 70, hit the wall and the race was over.

But wait, there’s more.

During the same time, I was always busy on the road so therefore had little to no time to check-in when friends and family back home.

My friends understood or simply moved on.

The family?

They were feeling Dad’s distance both physically and emotionally.

To be blunt…

It was not good.

My wife and I were fighting over stupid things when I left, stress while I was gone.

It was brutal and hard enough leaving then to end with a massive fight just sucked.

Then the kiddos tension…

Kids cried when I left and upset about what I missed while I was gone.

I checked in at all the wrong times and was always distracted.

I was killing it on the road and getting killed at home.

I was important on the road but invisible at home.

To be honest, I was a hot mess when I got home due to the exhaustion than just so disconnected with home trying to make up for lost time but feeling paralyzed on how to make this mess I created any better.

How’s that for a vulnerability bomb?

What resulted was the foundation of the Three Focus Areas of Elite Road Warrior:

 

Remember, the biggest misconception to master the business travel life was in the 1st focus area: WORK.

Is it important? Absolutely. In fact, it’s Energy Habit #4: PERFORM. It’s why we’re ON the road.

But it’s not everything.

If you lose your health, how much harder is work or how much does work matter?

If you struggle or lose your family, how much is work affected?

When I lost my health, everything in my life was on hold. I couldn’t work.

My life revolved around my next medical test. Forced rest. Supplements.

When I had stress back at the Buckley ranch, my mind was elsewhere on the road. I felt the tension and handled it in unhealthy ways.

Not good, road warriors.

The stark reality is the three focus areas are all inter-related.

Eventually, I learned that when I had my health in an optimal place and my relationships back home with those I loved were strong, my work on the road actually improved.

This is key.

I had more energy.

I had less stress.

I had more clarity.

I felt more supported and connected.

Let’s be brutally honest…

The inbox will always receive emails.

There will always be calls to return.

There will always be another proposal to write, presentation to give, deal to close.

But nobody can take care of your health except you.

Will the business world end if you took 20-30 minutes to go for a walk or run or workout in the hotel fitness center or hotel room?

Nope.

Hence energy habit one: MOVE.

I chose to challenge every single morning on the road.

Prioritize the 2nd Focus Area of HEALTH.

And those you love back home.

What if you took just a couple of minutes to stop being the check-in guy or girl and became a connect-in guy or girl who learned to leverage the road to grow that relationship in ways you wouldn’t at home through energy habit six: CONNECT – connect intentionally, thoughtfully, and creatively.

It’s how I created the Not Forgotten Journal you’re now hearing about.

It why I created the Flat Kiddos.

It’s why I send postcards to my older sons.

It’s why I pre-write and pre-record intentional, thoughtful words to those I love back home so they know they’re still a priority to me while I’m not physically there with them.

Here’s the point:

Your business world will change entirely if you stopped believing the biggest misconception to master the business travel life that it only has one focus area: WORK.

Take care of your health because only you can.

Take care of your family intentionally, thoughtfully, and creatively to invest into their lives.

Here’s a hard reality: 

Remember, your family has a choice of whether to connect or reconnect with you if you’ve been physically and emotionally distant.

They don’t have to come back to you so don’t put yourself in that position. Two are involved in this decision.

I’ve had too many conversations that break my heart with especially men of power after a couple of double vodka tonics who admit they’re on their 2nd or 3rd marriage and/or their kids could care less if they’re in their lives or not.

My heart breaks hearing this out of shape, lonely, broken but seemingly highly successful business traveler killing it on the road.

It doesn’t have to be this way, road warriors.

There are three focus areas to becoming and remaining an elite road warrior for a reason:

 

Let’s Land This Plane

The premise of Elite Road Warrior is energy habits. All six of the energy habits are encompassed within the three focus areas:

  1. Work – Energy habit 4: Perform / Energy Habit 5: Develop
  2. Health – Physical Energy Habits – Energy Habit 1: Move / Energy Habit 2: Fuel / Energy Habit 3: Rest
  3. HomeLife – Energy Habit 6: Connect

My hope is this is a challenge, a wake-up call to see how you’re personally doing in the three focus areas.

You may be doing great in one, but what about the other two?

Or maybe good on two but what about the other one?

Remember, you can always find another job but you can’t always get your health back or it’s a long long journey or get your family back.

My hope and prayer are you do whatever it takes to become and remain an elite road warrior and it starts by no longer believing the biggest misconception in business travel and excelling in all three focus areas of Work / Health / Home Life.

You Got This!

Six Habits to Leverage the New Year as a Road Warrior

I love fresh starts and I cannot lie.

Paul has been on the road awhile and he has the weight to prove it.

He’s not big on New Years Resolutions with his only New Years Resolution this year is to not have any resolutions!

But he would like to make some changes as a business traveler and leverage the new year as a catalyst.

Things aren’t bad per se, but they definitely could use a lot of improvement.

 

Paul is typically ahead of the pack in many ways and when he feels bad about himself, he sadly resorts to comparing himself to others which allows him to feel better about himself.

But that’s not who he is most of the time.

Paul wants to get better not just get by and make the necessary changes leveraging the road to do it this upcoming year.

He has what it takes but needs to get momentum and focus on his side.

Paul’s story is like many that come to me asking for a better way.

And it all comes down to two primary words: ROAD HABITS.

 

These road habits encompass Three Focus Areas:

 

 

Too often, we struggle or even lose our health and our home life for the sake of work. You know, that job that never turns off and always demands more and more of you especially on the road?

Paul knows he can improve his work life but also knows if he improved his health and home life, his work would immediately improve as well.

As Paul and I unpacked this conversation, we found his biggest struggle was his mindset of his road life. He viewed the road for all that he couldn’t do:

  • It’s a challenge to eat healthy on the road
  • It’s hard to sleep in a hotel
  • I don’t have time to get in a good workout or a workout at all for that matter when I travel
  • I check in with the fam back home when I can but things get busy

… and on and on and on.

If you were to join my conversation with Paul, this is what you would hear…

 

Six Habits to Leverage a New Year as a Road Warrior

The first thing I told Paul was to view the road differently. Instead of what he can’t do, look for what the road will enable you to do then leverage it.

In other words, change his mindset of the road.

For example, his family doesn’t travel with him so he has his early mornings all to himself.

Paul creates his own travel schedule and does have some flexibility in when and how he travels, when and how he works.

Then we turned the corner to how to view certain habits, energy habits, through the lenses of not only work but also health and home life, the three focus areas of Elite Road Warrior.

The first three are physical energy habits:

Habit One – MOVE

 

Most of the time, the road does the moving for us. We’re just always sitting: to the airport, at the gate, on a plane, in a car, in a meeting, at a restaurant, then laying on a bed after a long day mindlessly surfing the tv or a device.

Most road warriors could make one simple change this new year and it would be to move more on the road.

But how?

 

Move leverages the Increase M4X Formula:

  • Stand More – think up on my feet not down on my butt
  • Walk More – think forward not still
  • Run More – think cardio and getting your heart rate up
  • Lift More – think strength training by using bodyweight, dumbbells, and resistance bands

Stand More – at the gate, on the plane, in a meeting, create a stand-up desk in the lobby, etc.

Walk More – take the stairs not the elevator, walk up the escalator, choose a higher floor at your hotel and take the stairs, park further in the parking lot, take a phone call on a walk.

Run More – actually use the treadmill or elliptical in the fitness center, try burpees in your hotel room, take an outside walk and turn it into a sprint for 30 seconds.

Lift More – actually use the dumbbells in the fitness center, do pushups and leg squats, bring resistance bands with you.

Key Concept: Movement Creates Energy

Challenge – choose one of the four Increase M4X this next month to focus on and master it for all its worth.

Do you need to stand more? Walk more? Run more? Lift more?

What would be the easiest for you to implement to get some quick wins?

What would challenge and push you to start the year with the energy habit of MOVE?

Resource – podcast episode #018 – How to Workout in a Hotel Room / #028 – MOVE and Posture with Dr. Keith Giaquinto

 

Habit Two – FUEL

One of the joys of the road is the amazing food and drink always at our fingertips.

I’ve eaten meals most people would die for. I’ve had a variety of foods that make your mouth water from local specialties to international cuisine. Kansas City barbecue, Seattle fish to Paella (pie-ay-a) in Spain.

There’s the Freshman 15 then the Travel 20.

But being the recovering over-achiever I earned the Entitled 40.

Aka: Heavyweight champion of the… road.

My food choices were as follows:

The easiest choice
The quickest choice
The tastiest choice
The largest choice

As a result, the weight gain and hating how I looked in the hotel room mirror – that guy followed me all over the country and showed up in every single hotel room mirror.

Something had to change.

Fuel encompasses the MTHC Formula: (Make the Healthiest Choice)

  • Continually Hydrate – adding more water into my road day
  • Clean & Green – cleaner foods and more greens with each meal
  • Carry a Controlled Substance – having healthy snacks always available

Continually Hydrate – drinking water 1st thing in the morning, drink more water throughout the day especially on a flight, adding 1 glass of water with every alcoholic drink – I even developed and now use the Elite Road Warrior branded water bottle on the road

Clean & Green – less ingredients, less sugar, cleaner meats, more greens in your meals

Carry a Controlled Substance – having healthy snack options available to you at all times to always MTHC – I chose to bring an actual snack bag with me

Key Concept: Food is Fuel and Fuel is Energy

Challenge – choose one of the three in the MTHC Formula to focus on this new year

Do you need to add more water to your day? Could you eat more clean and green? Can you start carrying healthy snack options with you?

What would be the easiest for you to implement to get some quick wins?

What would challenge and push you to start the year with the energy habit of FUEL?

Resource – podcast episode #043 – Five Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road / #037 – Why You Must Carry a Lunch Box to Work on the Road

 

Habit Three – REST

If there was one habit that I neglected the most for the longest time, it was rest. Who has time to sleep on the road?

Sleep was completely optional to me.

I didn’t like it and felt it was a waste of time.

It just didn’t matter to me.

 

I was the guy who:

  • Had dinner with my laptop lover then took her up for a nightcap
  • Had every possible light and screen on
  • Went to bed way too late binge-watching and falling asleep with the TV on
  • Woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and felt like I had swallowed a dozen cotton balls
  • Woke up feeling sharp as a bowling ball
  • Never took a break and came home absolutely exhausted useless to my family and work

The Problem: I viewed rest as the enemy not as my biggest performance enhancer on the road

Rest encompasses the Strategic Resting Formula:

  • Sleep – Improve Than Increase
  • Breaks – Move the Body, Rest the Mind
  • Downtime – Time to Be, NOT to Be On

Sleep – having a bedtime ritual and a set bedtime, keeping your room cool, completely dark, using blue-blocker glasses, Bose sleep buds, Dep Sleepwear, bedtime meditations all to improve my sleep before ever even increasing my sleep

Breaks – taking micro-breaks that lasts seconds, mini-breaks that last a couple of minutes, macro breaks that take 15-30 minutes all with the goal of stretching, going for a walk, getting some water, going to the bathroom, meditating, anything to move the body and rest the mind

Downtime – finding your Road Thing that brings you energy whether going to a ballgame, being a tourist in the city, going to BN or a coffee shop just to read, etc.

Key Concept: Rest Creates Energy

Challenge – choose one of the three in the Strategic Resting Formula to focus on this new year

Do you need to have a clearer bedtime and evening routine? Do you start taking a break to move the body and rest the mind? Do you need to find your Road Thing to have some time just to be and not be on so you can ultimately be more productive?

What would be the easiest for you to implement to get some quick wins?

What would challenge and push you to start the year with the energy habit of REST?

Resource – podcast episode #035 – Why I Have a Sleep Kit and What Goes in It on the Road / #037 – Six Ways to Take an Energy-Giving Break on the Road

 

Now, we’ll focus on the three mental energy habits:

 

Habit Four – PERFORM

This is why you’re on the road – to perform. I truly believe most of us want to perform at a high level on the road.

But here’s the problem: we’re not willing to pay the price to perform at a high level.

We’re just so used to doing business as usual on the road and just getting by.

Or we compare ourselves to others and doing better than the other guy or girl but not our personal best. This was Paul’s go-to-move.

 

The key is being intentional so we can perform at an elite level.

Perform encompasses the Intentional Performance Formula:

  • Road Plan – is planning your day on paper, every part, and even finding the potential margins that may arise and what to do with them when they do appear
  • Block & Tackle – is focusing on one task for a set period of time
  • Energy Pacing – is knowing why and when your energy is low then how to pair tasks according to your energy

Road Plan – using a resource like the Full Focus Planner to think through your Big 3 of the Day, when you’ll have the gift or margins and an exact plan how to use that time

Block & Tackle – once you have a Time Block to work, spending, for example, 25 minutes to ONLY email and knowing which emails hold the most weight then attack them. Do the same concept for phone calls, CRM, proposals or quotes, etc.

Energy Pacing – actually look at your energy highs and lows through the day. When do they come? Do you need a break? Food? Movement? Change and work on a low energy task due to low energy? This change makes a huge difference for your performance on the road

Key Concept: High Performance Requires Intentionality

Challenge – choose one of the three in the Intentional Performance Formula

Do you need to create a road plan? Do you need two be more intentional with the margins that appear within your day? Do you need to focus on one task for a set period of time? Do you know to pay more attention to your energy so you can know how to pair your tasks accordingly?

What would be the easiest for you to implement to get some quick wins?

What would challenge and push you to start the year with the energy habit of PERFORM?

Resource – podcast episode #022 – How to be Productive in the Margins on the Road / #009 – One Change Every Business Traveler Must Make on the 1st Day of Every Trip

 

Habit Five – DEVELOP

If there is one habit that is often completely neglected on the road it would be professional and personal development.

How could there possibly be time to do anything but work especially time to read or learn?

But once we learn the margins of the road and become intentional about development, you’ll find more than enough time on any business trip to implement this critical energy habit to become an elite road warrior.

 

Develop encompasses the Invest in You Formula:

  • Sharpen the Mind – putting content in
  • Process the Thoughts – getting content out
  • Monitor the Heart – finding out how you’re REALLY doing

Sharpen the Mind – reading books, articles, or podcast with the intent to learn – possibly leverage the moment you find your seat on a plane until you reach 10K feet

Process the Thoughts – putting your thoughts on paper called Think Space into one central location

Monitor the Heart – taking time even 5-15 minutes to ask key questions to make sure your priorities and your heart are in the right place

Key Concept: Learning is Selfish and Something Only YOU Can Do

Challenge – Choose one of the three in the Invest in You Formula

Do you need to find a book to focus and read (like the Elite Road Warrior book for example)? Do you need to get a journal to write down your thoughts for Think Space and to Monitor the Heart?

I highly recommend the Elite Road Warrior Journal – black leather branded journal with two inserts, one to process the thoughts in the Think Space Journal side and one to monitor the heart in the Road Life Journal side. You can order the Elite Road Warrior Journal at www.EliteRoadWarrior.com .

What would be the easiest for you to implement to get some quick wins?
What would challenge and push you to start the year with the energy habit of DEVELOP?

Resource – podcast episode #041 – Eight Questions I Answer Every Morning on the Road / #040 – Why Personal Development is Important on the Road with Scott Mawdesley

 

Habit Six – CONNECT

For the longest time, my connect time with my family and friends back home was very narcissistic, meaning it revolved only around my schedule when it was best for me.

I rarely considered my family’s dinner time, homework time, sports practice, piano lessons, bedtime, just what worked for me.

I was busy os it was okay, right?

 

It consisted of only the following:

Text
Phone call
Video chat
Now, there’s nothing wrong with these three.

But it’s what I call the bare minimums to connect with those we love back home.

Nothing special and reactive.

Connect encompasses the Protect Connect Formula:

  • Connect Intentionally – on purpose
  • Connect Thoughtfully – reflective
  • Connect Creatively – memorable

Connect Intentionally – thinking outside of the reactive text, call or video chat and choosing a time and method to connect on purpose.

Connect Thoughtfully – pre-writing messages to send to people that will really mean something to them when they read the text, recording audio or video for your family to listen or watch over and over, leveraging the Not Forgotten Journal by taking two minutes to write down a memory, encouragement, challenge, speaking words of life into your significant other.

Connect Creatively – sending postcards to your kids from the city you’re in, leaving or sending Connect Cards for your kids to open, creating Flat Kiddos to take pictures of your locations such as your rental car, hotel, people you meet so your kids feel part of your trip, creating a map of the country and draw out where you’ll be on what days so your family knows where you are, having your kids do some research on your location for the trip .

Key Concept: Become a Connect-In Guy or a Connect-In Girl on the road

Challenge – Choose one of the three in the Protect Connect Formula

Do you need to become more intentional about how you connect with those you love back home? Do you need to schedule Think Space time to write meaningful words to others? How can you leverage the creative ideas suggested to begin to implement immediately?

You can order the Not Forgotten Journal, Connect Cards, and Flat Kiddos at www.EliteRoadWarrior.com

What would be the easiest for you to implement to get some quick wins?
What would challenge and push you to start the year with the energy habit of CONNECT?

Resource – podcast episode #029 – How I Shocked My Wife with the Not Forgotten Journal / #013 – Three Mindset Shifts to Stay Connected With Those Back Home

 

Let’s Land This Plane

Back to Paul’s story at the beginning of the episode… He wants to leverage the new year to make some changes not only in his work but also his health, and his home life.

These six energy habits are the basis of the Elite Road Warrior book and philosophy to master the business travel life.

I challenge, double-dog road warrior style dare you to choose one of the six habits and leverage the energy habit for all its worth to become an elite road warrior.

If you’re interested in listening to this article, check out Episode 051 of the Elite Road Warrior Podcast.

Top Five Excuses I Heard From Business Travelers This Past Year

 

I had this coming and more.

People talk to me for two crazy reasons:

  • I ask questions
  • I listen to their response

My Dad used to say all the time:

Son, ask people questions and they’ll talk to you for hours. Talk about yourself and they’ll listen to you for seconds at the most.

And oh how business travelers can talk.

Talk when they’re bored and want to engage with someone who gets them.

Talk when they’re asked a question by someone who seems to listen.

But what they don’t know is WHY I ask many of my questions on the road.

One word: RESEARCH

I want to hear from every single business traveler I can to hear how they feel about Road Life.

Unfiltered.

This past year I wanted to hear what were the barriers to becoming an elite road warrior.

And did I get an earful and my research-validated?

Here are the Top Five Excuses I Heard From Business Travelers This Past Year

Excuse 1 – It’s Hard to Eat Healthy on the Road

Translation: I’m not taking any responsibility for the non-forced food I put in my mouth.

I love this one. I’ve had SO many meals with road warriors who give me this excuse.

But then I watch their food choices meal after meal, restaurant after restaurant, bad choice after bad choice.

It starts with the appetizer then the main course with all the trimmings.

There’s the Freshman 15.
Then the Travel 20.
And if you’re an overachiever like me, you earn the Entitled 40.

How? Saying “It’s hard to eat healthy on the road.”

The reality is many of us have two advantages:

  • We’re not paying for the meal
  • We can choose the restaurant most of the time

These two realities can allow us to eat in healthier places and give you healthier options.

The truth is food is fuel and fuel is energy.

And I want energy to be at my best on the road.

Energy Habit Focus: FUEL

Resource: Five Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

 

Excuse 2 – I Can’t Get in a Good Workout So What’s the Point

Translation: I’m not as busy as I think and could make time for a short, effective workout.

So many choices:

  • Morning or Late Afternoon?
  • Treadmill or Elliptical?
  • Outside Walk or Run?
  • Dumbbells or Resistance Bands?

The answer? YES!

And I’ve found when I take even just 20 minutes, I often have a better workout because I’m time-sensitive and really get after it.

Whether I’m in the hotel fitness center or stay in my hotel room, taking just a few minutes does so much for me especially when I make it happen before the business travel day begins.

Remember, something, anything, just not nothing when it comes to exercise on the road.

Movement Creates Energy.

Energy Habit Focus: MOVE

Resource: How to Workout in a Hotel Room – Podcast Interview with Jeff McMahon

 

Excuse 3 – I Don’t Have Time to Read When Traveling

Translation: I’m not looking at all the marginal time that affords me reading time on the road.

This was me until I really started looking at my business travel days for margin.

Consider these times to get your “read on”:

  • Drive to the airport to listen to an audiobook or a podcast
  • On the long-term parking bus and going through security
  • After you board the plane and until you hear “we’ve reached 10,000 feet blah blah blah”
  • On the flight descent when you’re told to put your tray table up and prepare for landing
  • In your rental car or RideShare
  • 1st hour of your morning when you’re in your hotel

Just sayin, there is more than enough time to get your “read on” while traveling for business.

Energy Habit Focus: DEVELOP

Resource: Five Reasons Personal Development is a Challenge on the Road

 

Excuse 4 – I Just Can’t Get a Good Night Sleep on the Road

Translation: I’m really good at hijacking my sleep when I travel.

I sucked at sleep on the road for a long, long time and here’s how:

  • I was on a screen (sometimes many) way too late
  • I would fall asleep with the TV on
  • I drank too much which my bladder and cottonmouth woke me up in the middle of the night
  • My brain was too active and I would just endlessly lay in my bed
  • My room was too warm and not dark enough

But once I realized that I first and foremost needed to IMPROVE my sleep before I needed to INCREASE my sleep.

Game changer, road warriors!

Now, I’m highly focused on having the best quality of sleep first then focus on the quantity no matter what.

Energy Habit Focus: REST

Resource: Why You Need a Sleep Kit on the Road and What Should Go In It

 

Excuse 5 – My Family is Just Fine with My Level of Check-In While Traveling 

Translation: I’ve never done it any other way to see if it made a difference.

The road is challenging to stay connected with those back home and it may go something like this:

  • I’ll call when I can
  • I’ll send a check-in text here and there
  • I’ll video chat but yet still be checking email and not really paying attention

I know because that was me for way too long and still the case for most business travelers.

This is what I call a “Check-in Guy or Check-in Girl”. We do the bare minimum and it’s usually only when it’s convenient for us.

But what if we leveraged the road to stay connected with the family in thoughtful and creative ways that actually strengthen our relationships?

There are many creative ideas from Connect Cards to Flat Kiddos to the Not Forgotten Journal that can change the depth of your relationships back home in amazing ways and so worth this small investment of time.

Energy Habit Focus: CONNECT

Resource: Three Mindset Shifts to Stay Connected With Those Back Home 

 

Let’s Land This Plane

In my book, Elite Road Warrior: Six Energy Habits to Master the Business Travel Life, I had a theme quote:

If you want to do something, you’ll find a way.
If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. – Jim Rohn

And business travelers are king of excuses hence this article!

Excuses are opportunities that can be easily turned around.

What excuses are you using right now that you can leverage the road to turn around to help you become an elite road warrior?

I challenge you to check out the five resource links offered in this article. Take action and find a way, not an excuse.