Complimentary Analysis

FUEL

Five Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

One of the best parts of being a business traveler is the food experience.

It’s great not having to cook or clean up.

Then there’s the ability to chose the type of food you want:

  • Steak
  • Seafood
  • Italian
  • Mexican
  • Thai
  • …and the list goes on.

But wait, there’s more!

Then you get to choose what you want to order off the menu.

Oh the choices.
Oh the temptations!

And the best part of all? You’re not paying for it!

Or at least not yet, right?!

The nights you’re with a customer or client or team dinner, there are no limits.

Choose that appetizer or wine you’ve always wanted to try but never could afford.

Order that top-shelf liquor – heck, make it a double!

But on the company card, of course.

Bring it on!

Yet there is a cost. A heavy cost. And too many road warriors literally carry that cost with them all over their body from flight to board room to hotel. The travel triangle. The weight is literally weighing them down and the scale only goes up.

However, each decision can be easier if you view eating out on the road with the following lenses:

  • Food is Fuel
  • Fuel is Energy

This mindset is critical because it’s not based on the here and now “oh that looks or smells good” but on how I will feel later when we oftentimes need the energy.

The energy to….

  • Finish that proposal
  • Review the presentation
  • Get to bed at a decent time

I not only made the wrong decisions for years, I had the weight to prove it.

You’ve heard of the Freshman 15.
Then there’s the Travel 20.
And being the over-achiever I was on the road, I doubled it and earned what I call “the Entitled 40”

The reality is I could justify my choices and behaviors all day long and night for that matter.

And who was going to argue with me? The business traveler who struggling with the same issues? They’re my biggest supporter!

The point is you need to come to a point in your Road Life where you begin to think about your health along with your work.

We focus too much on the work aspect of the road in general when our health and our home life suffer just as much if not more.

This is why Elite Road Warrior has three focus areas:

  • Work
  • Health
  • Home Life

You do have choices.

And your choices have consequences.

I used to be the guy who said,

“Wow, that looks good. Oh, that looks good, I’ll try that too.”

“Another drink, please?”

“Look at that dessert! I’ll just try a bite”…. until it’s gone.

Leader of the pack! So, I get the battle of eating out on the road ALL-THE-TIME.

I’ve since lost the Entitled 40 in pounds and have kept it off.

I’ve stopped “getting by” on the road and chosen to “get better” and that means every time you eat out on the road.

There is hope and you can learn to leverage the road to get better. And I’m here to be your guide.

All five key decisions are in full effect the most at dinner when we’re much more relaxed potentially after a long travel day or a stressful day on the road but these apply to lunch too.

Five Key Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

These five decisions are naturally in order. They shouldn’t surprise you but somehow we act surprised when the server comes by and asks us these five questions.

Every.
Single.
Time.

And the nicer the restaurant, the more choices you’ll have right before your very eyes, oftentimes even presented to you on a literal silver platter.

Decision One – What I Will Drink

At dinner time, “the entitled me” always seems to show up ready to go no matter how last night went if you know what I mean.

And depending on if ‘I’m alone for dinner with my laptop lover or entertaining guests or being entertained, I enjoy the wine part of the “wine and dine”.

This is where the slippery slope begins and we have to “know thyself.”

For me, the more I drink, the sloppier I become on my nutrition, especially after a long day.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always and I mean always order a glass of water if one is not already provided for you. Then here’s the key: drink as much as you can to start. Why?
    • Most of us are more dehydrated than we even think so getting some water into your system is always a smart decision
    • 2. Water fills us up and hopefully detours us from over-eating
    • Join the Free WMP – water match program so whatever drink you do order, make sure you match it 1:1 with water. This will keep you hydrated the rest of the night and especially save you from waking up overly-parched and feeling like you’ve swallowed cotton balls that seem to multiply throughout the night
  • Think about what you’re really drinking and how much you plan to or should drink. Are you going to stay with one type of drink or hop all over the place? For me, when I start hopping, I start paying for it and I don’t mean the tab. Through the years, I’ve become a vodka tonic guy and it’s served me well.

Decision Two – Will I Order an Appetizer

This decision doesn’t come far behind the 1st decision of What I Will Drink.

I never order an appetizer when I’m by myself but somehow am overly tempted with other people.

It’s like each person is waiting for the other one to say “no thanks” or “sure, what looks good to you?”

The appetizer can be the “gotcha” to the meal. When I give in to something especially unhealthy, I get lazy at everything after that point.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always pre-decide – this means don’t base your decision on what looks and/or smells good. If you do, you’re going down like a Mike Tyson punch.
  • If you choose, eat the cleaner and greener appetizer.
  • If you’re a moderator, which means you can take just one bite and stop, stick to the plan
  • If you’re an abstainer, which means if you start, hide the women and children, it’s going to get ugly quick and the appetizer will disappear, Know Thyself, and don’t start.
  • Order a dark green salad – this is my go-to-choice for a few reasons:
    1. I avoid the tempting and fattening appetizer
    2. It allows me to get in healthy clean greens – just be smart with the toppings and dressings

Remember, Clean and Green is the 2nd element of FUEL after Continually Hydrate. So, use this time to get the good stuff in early – meaning the clean and green stuff.

Decision Three – What Is My Main Course

Ah, the featured presentation. This is why we’re here eating out, well, at least as far as food is concerned.

And depending on the restaurant, this may not be top-secret. If you’re at a chophouse, duh. If you’re at a seafood place, you get the point.

There are two main choices here:

  1. The main course needs to be Clean – look for the cleanest meat possible whether beef, chicken, eggs. If it’s really clean, it will list “grass-fed or organic” which means this is your easiest choice. If not, your 2nd main choice becomes all the more important
  2. What goes ON the main course – we can make a great clean decision with the main course then go five steps backward by all the heavy sauces, etc.

You may fight back and say, “but that’s what gives it all the flavor! And there is truth to it. But it doesn’t mean going ALL or Nothing.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always do your research – most restaurants now have online menus, so do some intel. Why? Avoid impulse choosing.
  • Put the sauce on the side – sometimes when it’s doused all over the place, you’re forced to eat ALL of it. But if you can just try it, maybe it’s not as good as advertised. Sometimes just a dip here and there is all you need and a better choice in the long run.
  • Add First Then Reverse – first and foremost, get the healthy in. Start there if this is not natural yet and feels like too big of an ask. Add the good stuff in first then begin reversing by taking the bad stuff off. For example, the sauces all over the meat or salad.

Decision Four – What Are My Side Dishes

This may seem like a default decision from your choice of the main dish. But not always.

You can go rogue and choose a side other than what the menu suggests or compels you to choose.

And most restaurants will allow you to easily make the change and sometimes with a very small upcharge. Not a big deal and worth the cost to eat clean and green.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always have at least one vegetable and preferably with not a ton of processing – steamed broccoli/asparagus / green beans, sautéed spinach, cauliflower, etc.
  • Choose a sweet potato over a baked potato or fries
  • Choose double veggies – another way to sneak in more “Green” of the clean and green.
  • Take a healthy side to go – I do this very often since almost every hotel I stay at has at least a mini-fridge and a microwave.

Decision Five – If I Will Have Dessert

You know they always ask if you want dessert, and if you’re not prepared, you go back to the awkward moment of deciding on the spot.

I tell this story in the Elite Road Warrior book about how at a dinner of 12, a one-pound brownie with a gallon of ice cream covered in whipped cream came out and after hundreds and hundreds of dollars were put on the table as a bet of who could eat it, I took on the challenge (mind you, this was during my Entitled 40 days…).

Impressively and sadly, I finished it then couldn’t digest it, lie down, or sleep for 48 hours. Brutal. Stupid (at least I donated the money).

All that to say, I’ve been the freak in the freak show so I understand the power of decision five: If I will have dessert.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Learn to say “no” upfront so others know where you stand
  • Know if you’re a moderator or abstainer – I know the “wanna be moderators” whose “just a bite” is the gift that keeps on giving or should I say taking. I’ve eaten with you people.
  • Choose a fruit bowl – this is my go-to when I want something sweet but not go down heavy with the dessert. I love anything berries and you can’t go wrong.
  • Carry dark chocolate with you – my wife and I are huge Trader Joe dark chocolate lovers. I carry a bar with me – far healthier choice and less ugly in the long run.

If you follow these five decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road in the healthiest form, you will win with nutrition in business travel.

And you will have the energy to prove it along with fewer pounds to carry.

I get you because I am you!

References

10 Business Travel Hacks Guide

7 Early Warning Signs for Companies to Avoid Business Travel Burnout

Five Lies About Business Travel

Business travel has many misconceptions. Someone who lives in the 9-to-5 office world truly does not understand our world. At all.

They have the essence of routine, consistency, and predictable-ness. Every single day.

Almost the exact opposite of a business traveler. And we like it that way.

Then there are family and friends who think we’re continually on vacation and we “have the life.”

Although they may think this is the case, whether we realize it or not, there are realities about business travel that are just not true.

Two specific groups of people within our inner circle of business travel, need to know the truth:

  1. Future business travelers – whether you’re in a company that is grooming you to travel or you want to switch jobs or even careers to begin to travel for work
  2. Leaders of business travelers – those that oversee and influence the work life of a road warrior

Why these two specific groups?

It’s because perception becomes reality and truth oftentimes just must be shared to expose the lie.

I’ve uncovered five specific lies I want to expose especially for future business travelers and those who lead business travelers. Each lie will also have a pushback, the truth, and an elite tip.

Five Lies About Business Travel

Lie #1 – Business Travel is a luxurious life

This is the one I hear all the time from friends and family. When someone meets me for the 1st time or hasn’t seen me in a while, they usually ask about all my “cool adventures.” Aka: tell me about your luxurious work life.

Here’s the Pushback – When someone hears you travel for work, they think or even say, “That’s awesome. You get to fly to cool cities, stay in really nice hotels, eat out at restaurants all the time, and get served. And you’re by yourself. That’s the life! I would do anything for your life.”

Does business travel offer some great perks? Of course. But like anything, too much of a good thing, or anything for that matter, grows old and loses its luster. The same is true with business travel. Just ask a road warrior who’s been at it for a while.

We’re not going on a vacation with a stress-free flight to an exotic place. We’re going to work, man. I’m in a suit, not shorts and flip-flops.

Hotels begin to look the same. The food begins to taste the same.

The outsider, whether an office-only co-worker or friends/family just doesn’t see what we know as “traveler friction” – delayed flights, canceled meetings, endless traffic, late nights with people we don’t really like. And on and on and on.

Truth: Business travel is a vocation not a vacation with different expectations and needed results.

Elite Tip: Find something to look forward to “doing or seeing” on every single trip:

  • Go to a ballgame
  • Visit a cool site in the city
  • Eat at a local favorite restaurant

In Elite Road Warrior lingo, we call this Downtime – time to be, not to be on. You need downtime to allow yourself to unwind so you can perform at your best. If I’m by the ocean, I always see a sunset. If I’m in a town I’ve never visited, I always see the sites. If they have a sports team, I must see a game. If they’re known for a certain style of food, I find that premier restaurant. You get the point.

Business travel is not a luxurious life but it doesn’t have to be a boring life either and if we play it right, the road can bring us the energy to perform at an elite level.

Lie #2 – It’s hard to eat healthy on the road

At first, this lie is very easy to believe.

For too many years, I believed, supported, and defended this lie. I flew by the Travel 20 to the Entitled 40… pounds that is, when in reality, I simply had no food boundaries and literally had the weight to prove it. I didn’t pass up on any of the king’s food or miss any of the king’s wine. So, of course, I said it was hard to eat healthy on the road.

Here’s the Pushback – Many of my meals I don’t actually choose the food (meaning the client provides lunch or chooses the dinner location).

This is a generalization and, again, I get it since it used to be me. It’s true, this happens, but sometimes, most of the time I have choices. And even if the client provides the lunch or chooses the dinner location, there are still healthier options.

Truth: Eating healthy is a proactive decision, not a reactive determination.

You can influence the client far more than you realize. Often, they’re uncertain what to choose in the first place. I’m often very clear that I eat on the healthier side. And I never let them determine “what is healthy for me.” I’ll give them examples of a grilled chicken dark green salad for lunch or steak or seafood with veggies for dinner.

I also realize there are often limited options at the airport. I get that but don’t rely on the airport for your nutrition.

Elite Tip: Do your intel at an airport. For example, as I’m walking out of the airport from the gate after landing, I’m looking around at all my food options but not for right now. But for when? My return flight home so I know if I can eat at this airport or I need to prepare in advance to eat somewhere else.

Elite Road Warrior teaches four words that should be your guide on eating healthy on the road: Make the Healthiest Choice.

Not the easiest choice, or the quickest choice, or the largest choice, or the tastiest choice but make the healthiest choice. It can be done if eating healthy is a proactive decision, not a reactive determination.

 

Lie #3- I have no control of my time on the road

This lie is a sneaky one because we subtly learn to be reactive on business travel. We watch others. We see our co-workers, bosses, fellow road warriors.

We do things in the moment. We’re just not trained how to do Road Life.

Every company I’ve ever worked for did a good or great job training me on the product or service but when it came to how to do road life and how to manage my time and energy on the road, it happened only… NEVER!

The road is a completely different animal that is a developed, learned skill to know when and how to work in the margins so you’re not working all the time which leads to burnout and inconsistent results.

Here’s the Pushback – I’m not in charge of my schedule. You don’t know how many meetings I have or what’s required of me on every single trip. I work every second I can on the road.

I hear you on that one and have been “that guy” before for way too long.

Truth: You have far more control of your time and results than you realize.

Once I started taking personal responsibility for MY time and MY energy, everything began to change. I didn’t wait for my company to train and teach me because in my case, it never would’ve happened. In fact, this is the very reason I created the Elite Road Warrior Group! I want to train business travelers, like you, how to make the most of the road.

Elite Tip: Intentionally put up Road Blocks every day of your business trip. Huh? I thought Road Blocks were a bad thing. Not if you use them properly.

A Road Block is a barrier around something to get work done. In this context, you want as many Road Blocks on the road as you can get in your day!

You need to schedule blocks of time to focus on one specific task (email, phone calls, quotes, data entry, presentations, etc) for a set period of time so you can get consistent results.

When you schedule Road Blocks and focus, you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done in this set window of time and you’ll have more time than you think on the road. It’s the work smarter not harder principle.

Energy Habit Four is Perform and goes into a ton of detail about how to perform at an elite level. The book, Elite Road Warrior goes into far more detail so pick up the physical, digital, or audio version today.

Lie #4 – My family is not affected when I’m on the road

This lie gets personal quick and can easily get exposed by a handful of inquiry questions.

A few questions can expose just how any given road warrior views “life back home” while on the road.

Or to put it another way: “Says the man who leaves his wife or significant other to take care of everything back home including YOUR kids!”

Disclaimer: Women don’t fall for this lie at all in fact they actually feel the stress of home on the road worrying if things back home are going as planned.

For the rest of us, do you know who is really affected?

  • Your spouse who is left to take care of everything on their own
  • Your kids who now have to rely on just one parent

Here’s the Pushback – Well, they’ve never said anything or they don’t know anything different because I’ve always traveled.

Truth: Your family needs you to be present on the road just as you are at home but leverage the time in a different way.

Energy Habit Six is called Connect and it focuses on leveraging your time on the road to connect with those you love back home in intentional, thoughtful, and creative ways.

This means leveraging the road to continue to be present in ways you wouldn’t normally do at home and end up making an impact on them.

Even though I’m not physically there with my family, I can still be visually and audibly present.

There was a stretch that my travel was so heavy and it brought on so much stress with my wife and kids. It was brutal on my marriage and my relationship with my kids, especially the younger ones.

I finally heard my wife say “something’s gotta change” (words you never want to hear) and realized she had been giving me clues all along. I just wasn’t listening and noticing.

As a result, I vowed to “change my ways” but realized I need to be patient, purposeful and planned.

Elite Tip: three tangible “change my ways” products to help you stay connected with your family on the road…

  • Not Forgotten Journal – learning to take just two minutes to write something to my wife each day in a journal I would one day give to her
  • Flat Kiddos – colored characters that I take pictures of in my world
  • Connect Cards – creative cards made by kids for kids that I leave and send to my kids writing meaningful words

I challenge you to stop denying that your family is not affected and to make connecting a huge priority.

 

Lie #5 – There are no temptations with business travel

We’re all wired differently from our interests to our style to our preferences to our attractions.

For those who don’t travel and are put in a place where temptation can appear, they can easily assume and even judge that it would never happen to them.

Here’s the Pushback – I’ve handled being put in a tempting position before and would be strong again

But do you know what changes? Being potentially thousands of miles from home and nobody may ever know.

Episode 085 and the article from two weeks ago discusses the dark side of business travel because it’s real, scary, and dangerous. We discuss the five downward spiral choices into the dark side of business travel.

  • There are food temptations / drink temptations / sexual temptations on the road
  • We have endless opportunities to experiment that can lead to new road habits that can lead to hidden addictions
  • We can even be put into moral decisions we thought ever thought we would be put in and respond in ways we may regret the rest of our lives

Truth: You can have integrity on the road when you’re aware of the temptations and have boundaries.

Elite Tip: Two Powerful Words: Know Thyself

The phrase came from the teachings of Socrates and popularized by Plato. It was the first of three maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The two maxims that followed “know thyself” were “nothing to excess” and “surety brings ruin”.

The 2nd phrase is applicable here too: nothing to excess.

Know Thyself means to recognize how human I really am and the right place meeting the right circumstances can take me down. So, let me get personal: I know I have an addictive personality. I’m a risk-taker and too easily push boundaries.

As a result, I MUST be very cautious on the road to not compromise my integrity, reputation, and family. I’m old enough to know the difference between short-term pleasure and long-term regret but must never believe the lie there are no temptations that can affect me on business travel.

Awareness on the road is key. My hope is this article was revealing, challenging, and a reminder of how easy we can fall into lies that can affect so many aspects of our road results and ultimately our lives.

Leverage….. to help you become and remain an Elite Road Warrior today to eliminate burnout and exceed results.

You Got This!

077 – Why the Answer to Burnout is The Energy Cycle

Think about the last time you met someone full of energy.

Not the obnoxious kind, but the one that lights up a room and attracts others to it. The kind that is focused, productive, and full of life. But sadly, the mere thought wears people out because they’re simply nowhere close.

Why? Because most people live in the Exhaustion Cycle.

This is where we move from:

  • Busy – Can’t Stop Now – I’m hurried and my energy is dispersed
  • Beatdown – Can’t Take This – I’m now stressed and my energy is decreased
  • Burnout – Can’t Keep Going – I’m officially done and my energy is depleted

 

I use an analogy of a high performing car. High performers are always going 100 mph, putting in cheap gas, little to no maintenance, only wanting quick and cheap repairs if needed, and then red-lining the RPMs while running on fumes.

The car looks amazing on the outside, always washed and waxed. And it’s immaculate on the inside, always vacuumed and spotless.

Yet we treat it like a junker.

This high-performance car sadly has been running only in the Exhaustion Cycle and you can learn more about the Exhaustion Cycle in the last article.

But there has to be another way as a business traveler on the road. This can’t be the only means of operation. How do we get the high-performance vehicle doing what it is designed to do without blowing out the engine?

The answer is found in The Energy Cycle.

 

It’s another way. It’s the way. A better way to live life on the road. It produces more results. Better results. And you feel so much better in the end.

The Energy Cycle is what should replace The Exhaustion Cycle. It’s the Preparation H to the pain in your “if you have to ask…”

Seriously. The Exhaustion Cycle is a pain that needs to be resolved.

For the longest time, I was known as The Energizer Bunny. Always going. Until my body shut down so badly, I crashed and crashed hard.

I learned from personal experience, the best place to live on the road was a place called The Energy Cycle.

I had to implement The Energy Cycle to learn the Energizer Bunny actually uses rechargeable batteries!

Brilliant!

HERE ARE THE THREE PHASES OF THE ENERGY CYCLE:

PHASE ONE: REST = STOP FOR NOW

REST has become a four-letter word. Our society does NOT promote rest. It’s downplayed even villainized.

But… REST is the recharge for our body and our mind. Don’t believe me? Go hard until you’re exhausted and crash. What is the only thing that brings you back from the dead?

That dreaded four-letter word: REST.

And when I rest, my My Energy is Recharged.

Recharge comes in two ways:

  1. The Quick Hit Charge – plugging in to get a quick bump in energy (and we’ll talk about this more later)
  2. The Trickle Charge – the low amp, long-duration full charge (patience sold separately)

Similar to an electronic device, sometimes we charge just to get out of the red zone until we can get the full charge we need.

Other times, and hopefully more times after learning how to implement the Energy Cycle, you’ll rarely be in the red zone and can get the quick hit charge to be more effective until you live in the trickle charge that is the secret sauce.

Rest is actually energy habit #3 in the six energy habits framework.

THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO REST:

1. SLEEP

We all do it but the degree of quantity and for that matter quality is all over the place especially for a high performer. Sleep is viewed as optional, a necessary evil, an easy place to steal time, and overall under-valued.

But when we value sleep and see it as one of the highest sources of energy… Only then will you get the trickle charge high benefit gain of sleep. Sleep is turning the car completely off.

Sleep is one of these “change of mind before change of behavior” areas.

Once you begin to see the value in getting more sleep, only then will you see the incredible results sleep is just waiting to offer to you. Sleep is the biggest performance enhancer available to a road warrior and those that maximize it are elite road warriors.

Pro Tip: concentrate on IMPROVING your sleep before INCREASING your sleep. Getting an hour or two of bad sleep is not the answer to the problem.

The 2nd part of Rest is…

2. BREAKS

I define a break as: Move the Body / Rest the Mind.

The biggest pushback I hear all the time with breaks is “I don’t have time to take a break the road!”
At first glance, that may seem to be the case on the road. And if people choose to take a break at all, they do the opposite – Rest the Body and Move the Mind –

They stay seated and move from one screen to another (computer to phone for social media or personal email). A true break is designed to Move the Body – stand/stretch/walk – MOVE!

And rest the mind means to stop concentrating and let it just roam free.

Breaks, in our high-performance car analogy, means running the car but on idle.

In the Elite Road Warrior book, I outline three different types of breaks:

  • Micro Breaks (think seconds) – stand and stretch/stare out the window to rest your eyes/change positions
  • Mini Breaks (think minutes) – walk to the bathroom or to refill your water / take a quick lap around the office (home office now or house) or go outside to catch your breath / a quick meditation
  • Macro Breaks (think chunks) – 15-30 minutes where you actually unplug from everything to move the body and rest the mind – go for a real walk (without checking email or social media) / eat a snack.

Breaks are one of these rare little gifts that a small investment yields amazing results.

Breaks are not only possible on the road, they’re game-changers for our energy so we can perform at the highest level. They also allow us to feel like we’re not ALWAYS working while on the road.

And the 3rd part of Rest after Sleep and Breaks is…

3. MARGIN / DOWNTIME

Margin means “space to breathe” – it’s choosing not to run non-stop but allows space to just catch your breath. Ahhhhh….

Margin is the cure for the Busy Phase in The Exhaustion Cycle. Margin precedes Downtime.
Downtime means “time to be” – it’s the non-doing part of the program. Think: “Time to Be, Not to Be On.”

Downtime is relationships. Downtime is hobbies.

I must have “space to breathe” (margin) so I can have “time to be” (downtime). Of the 3 parts in REST, this is my weakest by far. I’m notoriously a great doer, lousy be-er. Some would say even a better wine-er (adult beverage humor since I love my vino).

Downtime (Time to Be, Not to Be On) is critical when I live in The Energy Cycle.

It’s taking a couple of hours on a work trip evening to catch a ballgame, see the local sights, try a local restaurant without my laptop lover. Time to be, not to be on.

Downtime means, in our high-performance car analogy, the car is now in park. Downtime is small on weeknights and large on weekends. It’s amazing when you take downtime how much energy comes from this “seemingly unproductive time”.

And sometimes I’m the most creative AFTER downtime as crazy as that sounds. I’m recharged in a different way which puts so much into me – the “but wait, there’s more” bonus of choosing to rest with having margin (space to breathe) and downtime (time to be).

PHASE TWO: REFUEL = PUT BACK IN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Energy takes from us and requires something to go back in. We’re great at taking energy out and most road warriors, especially on a business trip, are lousy at putting energy back in.

When I refuel, My Energy is Renewed.

I’m now ready to put the RIGHT things back in (keyword: right).

But sadly, we often put the WRONG things in if at all and wonder why the high-performance car is not performing or even kicking back.

We must put the RIGHT things back in for our energy to be renewed and see the needed results.

THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO REFUEL:

1. Nutrition
Ah yes, there is a direct correlation between food and energy. If you doubt this, answer these three questions:

1. How much energy do you have when you skip meals? Breakfast or lunch for example?

2. How are you affected when you eat a heavy or lousy lunch?

3. How do you feel when you eat a healthy, energy-producing lunch or even the right snack?

We MUST see nutrition as a huge source of an energy edge. Our focus on nutrition is four letters: MTHC = Make the Healthiest Choice. Not the quickest choice, or the tastiest choice or even the largest choice.

It’s learning to ask: What’s the healthiest choice? Why? To give me energy on the road to perform at the highest level.

Three questions in particular:

  1. How do I continually hydrate putting the right liquids in? (Mostly water and think early and often)
  2. How do I eat cleaner (think fewer ingredients and less processed) and greener (more dark vegetables and more dark greens)?
  3. How do I carry a controlled substance healthy snack so I’m not caught off guard on the road?
    Nutrition (aka Fuel) is actually energy habit #2 in the six energy habits framework.

The 2nd part in Refuel is…

2. Fitness
I’m amazed and a little horrified by how little people MOVE these days. We’re SO less active than we used to be and need to be in our daily lives. Moving produces energy.

The focus on fitness is in the Increase Movement Formula. (↑ M4X Formula)

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

Adding and improving as many of the above four into your everyday activities will give you immediate energy and far more energy than you’d ever imagine.

Fitness (aka MOVE) is actually energy habit #1 in the six energy habits framework.

After Nutrition and Fitness, the 3rd part in refuel is…

3. Development
Nutrition and Fitness recharge the body. Development recharges the mind.

Time is always the enemy with things that are important and things that are good for you. And development both personally and professionally is usually at the top of the list. I found most people’s philosophy on personal development is more HIT and MISS.

Two words to describe how I define Development = INTENTIONAL LEARNING.

And for something to be intentional and maximized you develop a plan which I call PDP – Personal Development Plan.

Here are four C’s to better clarify a PDP:

  1. Consume – this is what I read and hear on a daily basis – think books, blog posts, magazines, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
  2. Coaching – hiring someone ahead of me for a season to get me where I want and need to go – often expensive but always worth it to me
  3. Courses – for me this is online courses that help me continually develop
  4. Conferences – opportunity to learn and network with like-minded learners on the same journey

Refuel is both recharging the body through Nutrition and Fitness along with recharging the mind with Personal Development to help our energy be replenished.

Personal and Professional Development (aka Develop) is actually energy habit #5 in the six energy habits framework.

The 3rd and final phase of The Energy Cycle after we’ve Rested – Stop for Now and Refueled – Put Back In is….

PHASE THREE: RE-ENGAGE = GET BACK OUT

 

 

 

 

 

 

After you REST, stop for now. And REFUEL, put back in, it’s time to RE-ENGAGE, get back out.

And when I’m refueled, my My Energy is Replenished.

This means I’m ready to get back out and “do what I do” but this time with more energy and sustainable energy. This is the exact opposite of the last phase of The Exhaustion Cycle: burnout.

Re-engage is when we “redesign the rhythms of our lives” to fit our individual lifestyle through the six energy habits.

This is where Re-Engage comes into the picture and is vital to our success in The Energy Cycle.

THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO RE-ENGAGE

1. PLAN – this type of detail in Rest and Refuel doesn’t or shouldn’t happen on accident or just when you can “fit it in.” This requires a customized plan that works within the rhythms of your road life.

Whether you create one on your own or your company helps you or Elite Road Warrior plays a part, a plan is the key to your success in The Energy Cycle to avoid burnout and create consistent results on the road.

2. IMPLEMENT – this is the “DO” part of the program. It’s not enough to “just have it on your schedule”

This is the action side – GO time – “getter done”. You will be SO far ahead of most if you make it to this part of Plan and Implement but it doesn’t stop here. “but wait, there’s more…”

3. EVALUATE – this is when we look at the plan and how we implemented it and ask:

  • How’s it going?
  • What worked?
  • What didn’t?
  • What can I change/tweak to make it better? = ADJUST

Tony Robbins calls this CANI – an acronym for constant and never-ending improvement. I wrote an entire post on the topic you can find here.

 

One closing thought on Re-engage. It’s critical you know when you re-engage on the road and your energy is not fully there just yet. Is your sleep off? Nutrition? Not enough movement? Knowing what you can tweak to keep your high-performance car running at an optimal level is the difference in a split-second finish in a race.

It’s SO easy to live in or even fall back in The Exhaustion Cycle. But this is not the way to live and especially not the place to become your absolute best.

The Energy Cycle is where you can develop your energy edge so you can live and work at an optimal level.
Leverage The Energy Cycle to help you become and remain an Elite Road Warrior today.

You Got This! Boom – Bring on the energy!

 

 

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!

Five Key Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

One of the best parts of being a business traveler is the food experience.

Who doesn’t like not having a meal from home that you really didn’t want?

Or not having to cook or clean up.

Then there’s the ability to chose the type of food you want:

Steak
Seafood
Italian
Mexican
Thai
…and the list goes on.
But wait, there’s more!

Then you get to choose what you want to order off the menu.

Oh the choices.

Oh the temptations!

And the best part of all? You’re not paying for it!

Or at least not yet, right?!

The nights you’re with a customer or client or team dinner, there are no limits.

Chose that appetizer or wine you’ve always wanted to try but never could afford.

Order that top-shelf liquor – heck, make it a double!

But on the company card, of course.

Bring it on!

 

Yet there is a cost. A heavy cost. And too many road warriors literally carry that cost with them all over their body from flight to board room to hotel. The travel triangle.

The weight is literally weighing them down and the scale only goes up.

However, each decision can be easier if you view eating out on the road with the following lenses:

Food is Fuel
Fuel is Energy

This mindset is critical because it’s not based on the here and now “oh that looks or smells good” but how I will feel later and often times when we need the energy.

The energy to….

  • Finish that proposal
  • Review the presentation
  • Get to bed at a decent time

I not only made the wrong decisions for years, but I also had the weight to prove it.

You’ve heard of the Freshman 15.

Then there’s the Travel 20.

And being the over-achiever I was on the road, I doubled it and earned what I call “the Entitled 40”

The reality is I could justify my choices and behaviors all day long and night for that matter.

And who was going to argue with me?

The business traveler who struggling with the same issues? They’re my biggest supporters!

The point is you need to come to a point in your Road Life where you begin to think about your Health along with your Work.

We focus too much on the work aspect of the road in general as our health and our home life suffer just as much if not more.

This is why Elite Road Warrior has three focus areas:

You do have choices.
And your choices have consequences.

I used to be the guy who said, wow, that looks good. Oh, that looks good, I’ll try that too.

Another drink, please?

Look at that dessert! I’ll just try a bite…. until it’s gone.

Leader of the pack!

So, I get the battle of eating out on the road ALL-THE-TIME.

I’ve since lost the Entitled 40 as in pounds and have kept it off.

I’ve stopped “getting by” on the road and chosen to “get better” and that means every time you eat out on the road.

There is hope and you can learn to leverage the road to get better. And I’m here to be your guide.

All five key decisions are in full effect the most at dinner when we’re much more relaxed potentially after a long travel day or a stressful day on the road but can apply to even lunch.

So, what are the five key decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road?

 

Five Key Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

These five decisions are naturally in order. They shouldn’t surprise you but somehow we act surprised when the server comes by and asks us these five questions.

Every.

Single.

Time.

And the nicer the restaurant, the more choices you’ll have right before your very eyes often times even presented to you on a literal silver platter.

 

Decision One – What I Will Drink​

At dinner time, “the entitled me” always seems to show up ready to go no matter how last night went if you know what I mean.

And depending on if ‘I’m alone for dinner with my laptop lover or entertaining guests or being entertained, I enjoy the “wine part of the wine and dine”.

This is where the slippery slope begins and we have to “know thyself.”

For me, the more I drink, the sloppier I become on my nutrition, especially after a long day.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always and I mean always order a glass of water if one is not already provided for you then here’s the key: drink as much as you can to start. Why?
    Most of us are more dehydrated than we even think so getting some water into your system is always a smart decision
    Water fills us up and hopefully detours us from over-eating
  • Join the Free WMP – water match program so whatever drink you do order, make sure you match it 1:1 with water. This will keep you hydrated the rest of the night and especially save you from waking up overly-parched and feeling like you’ve swallowed cotton balls that seem to multiply throughout the night
  • Think about what you’re really drinking and how much you plan to or should drink. Are you going to stay with one type of drink or hop all over the place? For me, when I start hopping, I start paying for it and I don’t mean the tab. Through the years, I’ve become a vodka tonic guy and it’s served me well but only paired with the free water match program.

 

Decision Two – Will I Order or Eat an Appetizer

This decision doesn’t come far behind the 1st decision of What I Will Drink.

I never order an appetizer when I’m by myself but somehow overly tempted with other people.

It’s like each person is waiting for the other one to say “no thanks” or “sure, what looks good to you?”

The appetizer can be the “gotcha” to the meal. When I give in especially something unhealthy, I get lazy about everything after that point.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always pre-decide – This means don’t base your decision on what looks and/or smells good. If you do, you’re going down like a Mike Tyson punch.
    If you choose, eat the cleaner and greener appetizer.
  • If you’re a moderator, which means you can take just one bite and stop, stick to the plan
  • If you’re an abstainer, which means if you start, hide the women and children, it’s going to get ugly quick and the appetizer will disappear, Know Thyself, and don’t start.
  • Order a dark green salad – this is my go-to-choice for a few reasons:
    I avoid the tempting and fattening appetizer
    It allows me to get in healthy clean greens – just be smart with the toppings and dressings

 

Remember, Clean and Green is the 2nd element of FUEL after Continually Hydrate. So, use this time to get the good stuff meaning the clean and green stuff in early.

 

Decision Three – What Is My Main Course

Ah, the featured presentation.

This is why we’re here eating out, well, at least as far as food is concerned.

And depending on the restaurant, this may not be top-secret. If you’re at a chophouse, duh. If you’re at a seafood place, you get the point.

There are two main choices here:
The main course needs to be Clean – look for the cleanest meat possible whether beef, chicken, eggs. If it’s really clean, it will list “grass-fed or organic” which means this is your easiest choice. If not, your 2nd main choice becomes all the more important

What goes ON the main course – we can make a great clean decision with the main course then go five-step backward by all the heavy sauces, etc.

You may fight back and say, “but is what gives it all the flavor! And there is truth to it. But it doesn’t mean going ALL or Nothing.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always do your research – every restaurant now has an online menu so do some intel. Why? Avoid impulse choosing.
  • Put the sauce on the side – sometimes when it’s doused all over the place, you’re forced to eat ALL of it. But if you can just try it, maybe it’s not as good as advertised. Sometimes just a dip here and there is all you need and a better choice in the long run.
  • Add First Then Reverse – first and foremost, get the healthy in. Start there if this is not natural yet and feels like too big of an ask. Add the good stuff in first then begin reversing by taking the bad stuff off. For example, the sauces all over the meat or salad.

 

Decision Four – What Are My Side Dishes

This may seem like a default decision meaning your side dish is a direct decision from your choice of the main dish.

But not always.

You can go rogue and choose a side other than what the menu suggests or compels you to choose.

And most restaurants will allow you to easily make the change and sometimes with a very small uncharge. Not a big deal and worth the cost to eat clean and green.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always have at least one vegetable and preferably with not a ton of processing – steamed broccoli/asparagus / green beans, sautéed spinach, cauliflower, etc.
  • Choose a sweet potato over a baked potato or fries
  • Choose double veggies – another way to sneak in more “Green” of the clean and green.
  • Take a healthy side to go – I do this very often since almost every hotel I stay at has at least a mini-fridge and a microwave.

 

Decision Five – If I Will Have Dessert

You know they always ask and if you’re not prepared, you go back to the awkward moment like the appetizer but more at stake after a few drinks.

I tell this story in the Elite Road Warrior book how at a dinner of 12, a one-pound brownie with a gallon of ice cream covered in whipped cream came out and after hundreds and hundreds of dollar were put on the table as a bet of who could eat it, I took on the challenge (mind you, this was during my Entitled 40 days…).

Impressively and sadly, I finished it then couldn’t digest it, lie down, or sleep for 48 hours. Brutal. Stupid (at least I donated the money).

All that to say, I’ve been the freak in the freak show so I understand the power of decision five: If I will have dessert.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Learn to say no upfront so others know where you stand
  • Know if you’re a moderator or abstainer – I know the “wannabe moderators” who there “just a bite” is the gift that keeps on giving or should I say taking. I’ve eaten with you people.
  • Choose a fruit bowl – this is my go-to when I want something sweet but not go down heavy with the dessert. I love anything berries and you can’t go wrong.
  • Carry dark chocolate with you – my wife and me are huge Trader Joe dark chocolate lovers. I carry a bar in my Carry a Controlled Substance work lunch box (episode 037 of the Elite Road Warrior Podcast) – far healthier choice and less ugly in the long run

 

Let’s Land This Plane

Our energy habit focus is FUEL which is the 2nd of the physical energy habits.

Here’s a quick review of the five decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road:

Decision One – What I Will Drink

Decision Two – Will I Order or Eat an Appetizer

Decision Three – What Is My Main Course

Decision Four – What Are My Side Dishes

Decision Five – If I Will Have Dessert

If you follow these five decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road in the healthiest form, you will win with nutrition with business travel.
And you will have the energy to prove it along with fewer pounds to carry.

I get you because I am you!

 

Prefer Audio…?

If you’re interested in the audio version of the five decisions you just make at every restaurant, check out the Elite Road Warrior Podcast episode #043.