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One Change Every Business Traveler Must Make on the 1st Day of Every Trip

I was on a flight out of town one week from Chicago and once I found my favorite seat, which just happens to be the emergency aisle on the right side, I started chatting with the guy in the window seat.

Once we took off I began to eat my homemade scrambled eggs, sautéed spinach and kale, cut up bell peppers and cucumbers with cherry tomatoes. I do this every flight out of town – BYOM – bring your own meal AKA: MTHC (make the healthiest choice)

On the other hand, I was sitting next to Egg McMuffin Man. Have you seen him? He was inhaling an Egg McMuffin, hash browns, and washing it down with a jumbo Diet Coke. Diet, of course. Hey Ed McMuffin, you’re dripping ketchup all over your shirt, man.

Does that make me better? Well… I’ll let you be the judge. And for the record, his real name was Ed so give me some credit for precise facts.

The point is we were both on the 1st day of a business travel trip and we both made a key decision how we’re starting off our trip. Mere moments later he was in a coma like he hadn’t slept in days while his phone was still playing a movie. Mind you, this is the very first day of the trip, the first MORNING of the trip!

I was choosing to read then work. Again, you be the judge.

Unknowingly, he was making decisions that were setting the tone for the rest of his trip. I see this kind of guy ALL of the time when I travel and I’m using GUY generically – girls, you’re out there too and I’ve caught you in the act, but to your credit, not as often. And not to call out Ed here but there’s a reason he’s overweight, possibly marginally effective, and obviously lacks energy. His habits revealed something about himself.

Now, here’s a question for you to consider right out of the gate and quite possibly even an airplane gate:

Would you consider yourself a Creature of Habit? Meaning, you function primarily out of your routine, aka: your habits.

For me, If I start a habit, I’m all good and will continue the habit for all that it brings. Both the good and the bad.

And if I’m out of my habit, which I call OOTRO (Out of the Routine of), that becomes my new habit. NOT doing something. We live by our habits far more than we realize especially on the road for the good and the bad.

The challenge is getting out of the bad habits we’ve found ourselves in especially after years of travel.

I meet more and more road warriors who are on auto-pilot with their “road routine” and often need to be woken up and rewired to make some necessary changes. They’re so far from elite and don’t even realize it.

I was there and can relate.

I recently picked up a book from a familiar author Daniel Pink of Drive and To Sell is Human.

In his latest book, When, he talks about Beginnings – Starting Right, Starting Again, and Starting Together.

He addresses the need for Fresh Starts.

For example the 1st day of the year, or month, or week are what social scientists often call a “temporal landmark.”

Just as we use landmarks to guide us as a visual marker, we leverage these “Stand Out Days” from what Daniel Pink calls, “the ceaseless and forgettable march of other days, and their prominence helps us find our way.”

It’s easy for our road days to just blend in and become this forgettable march of other days. Just another day, another city, another hotel, another unhealthy meal.

Here’s some research to prove the point:

In 2014, three scholars from the Wharton School of the University of Penn published this breakthrough paper in the science of timing that focused on the use of temporal landmarks and how we can leverage them for new beginnings or fresh starts.

These scholars analyzed 8.5 years of Google searches. They found that certain word searches spiked dramatically on key “fresh start days” and triggered a predictable motivation in people.

Daniel Pink noted in his book that there are two types of Temporal Landmarks: Social and Personal.

  1. Social – those everyone shared: Mondays / New Month / New Quarter / Holidays
  2. Personal – unique to the individual: Birthdays / Anniversaries / Job changes

Interestingly, two things happened whether social or personal temporal landmarks were used:

  1. They allowed people to open “new mental accounts” in the same way a business closes the books at the end of one year and opens new books in the next year. It’s a break from past mistakes and imperfections and leaves us confident about “what could be”. Key Marker: New Years Day or Birthday
  2. They also interrupt attention to the everyday minutiae causing people to take a big picture view of their lives and focus on achieving their goals. As the Wharton scholars concluded, “People can strategically create turning points in their personal histories.”

Here is where this relates to the business traveler. The goal is to find what potential days could be your own Temporal Landmarks on the road.

One Change Every Business Traveler Must Make on the 1st Day of Every Trip

Anchor Days

Here’s my definition of an Anchor Day:  Key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time.

The power is in the word: ANCHOR.

What does an anchor do? Webster defines anchor:A device used to prevent the craft from drifting (due to wind or current)

We’re the Craft in the analogy and the drift is ANYTHING that takes us where we DON’T want to go!

You think about an Anchor. When it drops and takes hold, you aren’t going anywhere or anywhere soon. We’re notorious for drifting especially if we don’t start out strong. Hence the Power of an Anchor Day.

 

Let’s breakdown the key aspects of an Anchor Day…

There are THREE Key Aspects of an Anchor Day to be effective and be powerful:

  1. Set Date – there must be a CLEAR starting date – This is the WHEN
  2. Catalyst Behavior – Key actions you need to do – This is the WHAT
  3. Specific Triggers – reminders or cues / IF this, THEN that = WHERE

All three aspects are critical for an effective Anchor Day that gives you sustainable energy and incredible results.

Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline. They don’t “just happen.”

You must INTEND to do them. And they cause you to exert effort which requires discipline. But the payoffs are absolutely huge.

Back to the book, When, for a moment. Daniel Pink offers the potential of 80 + days in the year when you can make a fresh start:

  • 1st day of the month (12)
  • Mondays (52)
  • 1st day of Spring / Summer / Fall / Winter (4)
  • 1st day of an important religious holiday (1)
  • Your Birthday! (only 1 thankfully)
  • A loved one’s birthday (1)
  • 1st day of school or semester (2)
  • 1st day of a new job (1)
  • The day after graduation (1)
  • 1st day back after vacations (2)
  • Anniversaries (7)

Here are my own personal on-going anchor days on a consistent basis:
1. Mondays
2. New Month
3. New Quarter
4. 1st day of a business trip

Now, let me drill down on one that makes the biggest impact for me on a consistent basis:

Business Travel

Every single road warrior has this one thing, the same thing in common for absolutely every one of us and on every single business trip.

The FIRST DAY of the trip.

  • No matter what we do.
  • No matter where we go.
  • No matter if it’s our 1st month on the road or our 2nd decade.

We all have the first day of a business trip.

As a result, having an Anchor Day is absolutely critical to becoming an Elite Road Warrior (ERW).

We are on the road to PERFORM which is the 4th of the 6th energy habits.

Why? Because how the 1st day goes, the rest of my trip usually goes.

A creature of habit.

If I can establish an “anchor” of certain behaviors on my 1st day, they will be my anchor keeping me grounded for the rest of the trip. On the flip side, I witness business travelers with shallow or no anchors and their 1st day of the business trip is inconsistent and all over the place.

I’ve watched it play out so many times as each day of the business trip continues. Their energy, and as a result, their effectiveness and productivity dramatically decrease. Simply put, They’re “getting by” NOT “getter better”

Let me stop and get personal. Is that the case with you? – Are you getting by or getting better on your trip and specifically on the 1st day of your business trip?

And I’ve learned, once the train leaves the station, or in my case, the plane leaves the runway, I need to work my Anchor Day Plan.

Not going to be THAT guy anymore. Sorry, Ed McMuffin Guy, you’re on your own on this one, man.

So, let’s work through the three aspects of an Anchor Day in my example of a Road Warrior:

Set Date – 1st day of my business travel – this is my WHEN

Catalyst Behaviors – these are pre-determined actions I need to do – This is the WHAT

And here are some examples for me personally:

1. Taking my Breakfast with me – don’t leave to chance (AND if I have a healthy breakfast I’m FAR more likely to have a healthy lunch/dinner)

2. Move – moving at the airport / standing and walking on the flight / stretching

2. Snacks – bringing / buying (stopping somewhere to get fresh snacks) – finding a Whole Foods / Trader Joe’s, etc.

3. Hotel Room – I found this to be a big one for me because it’s my Home Away From Home on a trip.

4. Connect – Check in with those at home – this is done by early morning videos / audio / text messages so my family has received them from me before they even wake up

5. Rest – Early Bed Time – this is SO key the 1st day because most of the time I have an early flight and changing time zones AND if I start out sleep deprived on day one, I rarely if ever make up that sleep and we all know where that leads – affecting our performance, then coming home absolutely blitzed and exhausted, useless to anyone back home and our 1st day back from a business trip.

Now, remember, after the Set Date and Catalyst Behavior, is the 3rd aspect of the Anchor Day which is…

Specific Triggers reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE

  •  Water bottle / tupperware / snack bag out the night before
  • Apple Watch alarms – stand / drink water
  • Hotel Key hitting the room door – trigger for the H.O.M.E. acronym to kick in

 

So, I challenge you to think about your very next business trip and what you could do to create an anchor day. Start small and build on it!

A Guaranteed Way to Leverage the First Day of a Business Trip

I’m on a flight right now and eating homemade scrambled eggs, sautéed spinach and kale, cut up bell peppers and cucumbers with cherry tomatoes. 

I do this every flight.

On the other hand, I’m sitting next to Egg McMuffin Man. Have you seen him?

Right now he’s inhaling an Egg McMuffin, hash browns, and washing it down with a jumbo Diet Coke. Diet, of course.

Does that make me better?

Well… I’ll let you be the judge.

The point is we’re both on the 1st day of a business travel trip and we both made an anchor decision how we’re starting off our trip.

He’s now in a coma while his phone is still on playing a movie.

I’m choosing to write.

Again, you be the judge.

Unknowingly, he’s making decisions that are setting the tone for the rest of his trip.

I see this kind of guy ALL of the time when I travel.

And there’s a reason he’s overweight, marginally effective, and lacks energy.

The Research.

Daniel Pink in his latest book, WHEN, talks about Beginnings – Starting Right, Starting Again, and Starting Together.

His premise is many, what he calls, False Starts, are MORE due to WHEN than WHAT. 

If we do certain activities at the wrong time no matter if they’re the right activities, they simply will not have as strong as results.

He also addresses the need for Fresh Starts. 

When we False Start, we need to Begin Again fresh.

Makes sense.

For example the 1st day of the year, or month, or week are what social scientists often call a “temporal landmark.” 

In 2014, three scholars from the Wharton School of the University of Penn published a study of the use of temporal landmarks and how we can leverage them for new beginnings or fresh starts.

These scholars analyzed 8.5 years of Google searches. They found that certain word searches spiked dramatically on key “fresh start days” and triggered a predictable motivation in people.

Daniel Pink noted there are two types of Temporal Landmarks: Social and Personal

1. Social – those everyone shared: Mondays / New Month / New Quarter / Holidays

2. Personal – unique to the individual: birthdays / anniversaries / job changes

As the Wharton scholars concluded, “People can strategically create turning points in their personal histories.”

Now, the goal is to find what potential days could be your own Temporal Landmarks.

And I call this concept Anchor Days.

Definition of an Anchor Day:

“Key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time”

The power is in the word: ANCHOR.

Let’s breakdown the key aspects of an Anchor Day…

THREE Key Aspects of an Anchor Day to be effective and be powerful:

1. Set Date – there must be a CLEAR starting date – This is the WHEN – a “specific day”

2 Catalyst Behavior – Key actions you need to do – This is the WHAT

3. Specific Triggers – reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE

All three aspects are critical for an effective Anchor Day that gives you sustainable energy and incredible results.

Ideally, you combine the specific day / catalyst behaviors / specific triggers into a plan to make the most of the Anchor Day.

Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline.

They don’t “just happen”.

Did you catch that?

Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline.

They don’t “just happen”.

You must INTEND to do them.

And they cause you to exert effort that requires discipline.

But the payoffs are absolutely huge.

So few people do them that when you create and implement an Anchor Day you’re already in a very elite group of high performers who are living with an Energy Edge.

Back to the book, WHEN, for a moment.

The author, Daniel Pink, offers the potential of 80 + days in the year when you can make a fresh start:

•1st day of the month (12)

•Mondays (52)

•1st day of Spring / Summer / Fall / Winter (4)

•1st day of an important religious holiday (1)

•Your Birthday! (1 only thankfully)

•A loved one’s birthday (1)

•1st day of school or semester (2)

•1st day of a new job (1)

•The day after graduation (1)

•1st day back after vacation (2)

•Anniversaries (7)

Hopefully your mind is working through what ARE your anchor days or what COULD BE your anchor days.

Here are my own personal on-going anchor days on a consistent basis:

1. Mondays

2. New Month

3. New Quarter

4. 1st day of a business trip

Now, let me drill down on one that makes the biggest impact for me on a consistent basis:

Business Travel…

My work is business travel a majority of the time.

As a result, having an Anchor Day is absolutely key for me.

I’ve learned through the years the MOST IMPORTANT day of business travel for me is the 1ST day of the trip.

Why?

It’s rather simple. Because how the 1st day goes, the rest of my trip usually goes.

A creature of habit.

If I can establish an “anchor” of certain behaviors on my 1st day, they will be my anchor keeping me grounded for the rest of the trip.

On the flip side, I witness first hand business travelers with shallow or no anchors and their 1st day of the business trip is inconsistent and all over the place.

And I’ve learned, once the train leaves the station, or in my case, the plane leaves the airport, I need to work my Anchor Day Plan.

Not going to be THAT guy anymore.

Personal Example…

So, let’s work through the three aspects of an Anchor Day in my example of a Road Warrior:

Set Date – 1st day of my business travel – this is my WHEN

Catalyst Behaviors – What I EAT / How I MOVE / When I Sleep

And here are some examples for me personally:

1. Taking my Breakfast with me – don’t leave to chance (AND if I have a healthy breakfast I’m FAR more likely to have a healthy lunch / dinner) 

2. Snacks – bringing / buying (stopping somewhere to get fresh snacks) – finding a Whole Foods / Trader Joe’s, etc.

3. Hotel Room – I found this to be a big one for me because it’s my Home Away From Home on a trip and certain behaviors can really set me up

4. Connect – Check in with Home – this is done by early morning videos / audio / text messages so my family has them from me before they even wake up

5. Rest – Early Bed Time – this is SO key the 1st day because most of the tie I have an early flight and changing time zones

Now, remember, after the Set Date and Catalyst Behavior, is the 3rd aspect of the Anchor Day which is…

Specific Triggers  reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE

•   Water bottle / tupperware / snack bag out the night before

•   Apple Watch alarms – stand / drink water

•   and the example I gave in detail: Hotel Key hitting the room door – trigger for the H.O.M.E. acronym to kick in

Wrapping This Up…

You need to think through your own world.

What needs to have an Anchor Day?

What day if you leveraged the concept of an Anchor Day could provide you the needed energy and focus you need?

Is it Mondays / new Month / new Quarter / a Big Project / possibly business travel…? 

Answering this question will give you the ability to leverage the Power of Anchor Days for your business trip.

009 – One Change Every Business Traveler Must Make on the 1st Day of Every Trip

Welcome to the Episode 009 Show Notes of the Elite Road Warrior Podcast! In this episode, we discuss the importance of Anchor Days in the life of every business traveler.

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

4:15 – We live by our habits, for good or bad, far more than we realize, especially on the road.

4:30 – Exhausted (Existing) Road Warriors vs Elite Road Warriors

4:55 – Daniel Pink (When) Starting Right, Starting Again, and Starting Together with FRESH STARTS

6:20 – Two Types of “Temporal Landmarks”

7:30 – Anchor Days are key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time.

8:30 – The Three Aspects of Anchor Days

9:45 Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline

10:18 – Road Warrior Assessment

11:05 – Reviewing the three aspects

12:20 – Every single road warrior has one thing in common on every single business trip.

13:35 – The most important day of business travel is the 1st day of the trip.

15:50 – Working through the Three Aspects.

20:00 – Episode Recap

21:45 – Next Episode Preview

"I don't want to get by I want to get better" – Elite Road Warrirors Share on XI can set myself up for a successful trip with the three parts of an Anchor Day. 1. Set the starting Date2. Set the Key Actions (catalyst behaviors) 3. Find the Specific Triggers (reminders) Share on XEvery single road warrior has one thing in common on every business trip: a first day. Share on XAnchor days require intention and discipline, but the payoffs are absolutely huge. Share on X

Links and resources for this episode:

Daniel Pink – When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing(also his other books!)

Road Warrior Assessment – What Level of Road Warrior Are You?

How You Can Dramatically Increase the Success of Your Business Trip In Just One Day

I’m on a flight right now and eating homemade scrambled eggs, sautéed spinach and kale, cut up bell peppers and cucumbers with cherry tomatoes.

I do this every flight out of town.

On the other hand, I’m sitting next to Ed McMuffin Man. Have you seen him?

Right now he’s inhaling an Egg McMuffin, two hash browns, and washing it down with a jumbo Diet Coke. Diet, of course.

Does that make me better?

Well… I’ll let you be the judge.

Get to the Point

The point is we’re both on the 1st day of a business travel trip and we both made an anchor decision on how we’re starting off our trip.

He’s now in a coma while his phone is still on playing a movie. It’s not pretty.

I’m choosing to write. Again, you are the judge.

Unknowingly, he’s making decisions that are setting the tone for the rest of his trip.

I see this kind of guy ALL of the time when I travel. And there’s a reason he’s overweight, marginally effective, and lacks energy.

Daniel Pink in his latest book, WHEN, talks about Beginnings – Starting Right, Starting Again, and Starting Together.

His premise is what he calls False Starts, are MORE due to WHEN than WHAT.

If we do certain activities at the wrong time no matter if they’re the right activities, they simply will not have as strong as results.

For example, the 1st day of the year, or month, or week are what social scientists often call a “temporal landmark.”

Just as we use landmarks to guide us as a visual marker, we leverage these “Stand Out Days” from what Daniel Pink calls, “the ceaseless and forgettable march of other days and their prominence helps us find our way.”

 

Research to Prove It

In 2014, three scholars from the Wharton School of the University of Penn published this breakthrough paper in the science of timing that opened up our eyes to the understanding of the use of temporal landmarks and how we can leverage them for new beginnings or fresh starts.

These scholars analyzed 8.5 years of Google searches. They found that certain word searches spiked dramatically on key “fresh start days” and triggered a predictable motivation in people.

Daniel Pink noted there are two types of Temporal Landmarks: Social and Personal

1. Social – those everyone shared: Mondays / New Month / New Quarter / Holidays

2. Personal – unique to the individual: Birthdays / Anniversaries / Job Changes

Interestingly, two things happened whether social or personal temporal landmarks were used:

1. They allowed people to open “new mental accounts” in the same way a business closes the books at the end of one year and opens new books in the next year.  It’s a break from the past mistakes and imperfections and leaves us confident about “what could be”. Key Marker: New Years Day or Birthday.

2. They also interrupt attention to the everyday minutiae causing people to take a big picture view of their lives and focus on achieving their goals.

As the Wharton scholars concluded, “People can strategically create turning points in their personal histories.”

 

I call this concept Anchor Days and here’s my definition of an Anchor Day:

“Key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time”

 

The power is in the word: ANCHOR.

What does an anchor do? The trusty dictionary defines an anchor as “A device used to prevent the craft from drifting (due to wind or current).”

We’re the Craft in the analogy and the drift is ANYTHING that takes us where we DON’T want to go!

You think about an Anchor. When it drops and takes hold, you don’t go anywhere or anywhere soon.

And since we’re notorious for drifting especially if we don’t start out strong hence the Power of an Anchor Day.

Let’s break down the key aspects of an Anchor Day…

There are THREE Key Aspects of an Anchor Day to be effective and be powerful:

1. Set Date – there must be a CLEAR starting date – This is the WHEN – a “specific day”

2 Catalyst Behavior – Key actions you need to do – This is the WHAT

3. Specific Triggers – reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE

 

All three aspects are critical for an effective Anchor Day that gives you sustainable energy and incredible results.

Ideally, you combine the specific day/catalyst behaviors / specific triggers into a plan to make the most of the Anchor Day.

Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline.

They don’t “just happen”.

Did you catch that?

Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline.

You must INTEND to do them and they cause you to exert effort which requires discipline.

But the payoffs are absolutely huge.

So few people do them that when you create and implement an Anchor Day you’re already in a very elite group of high performers who are living with an Energy Edge.

Now, the goal is to find what potential days could be your own Temporal Landmarks and for business travelers, there is an obvious one.

 

Here are my own personal on-going anchor days on a consistent basis:

1. Mondays

2. New Month

3. New Quarter

4. 1st day of a business trip

Now, if you’re a business traveler there is an obvious one. Let me drill down on one that makes the biggest impact for me on a consistent basis:

My work is business travel a majority of the time and every trip has one major thing in common: the 1st day.

As a result, having an Anchor Day is absolutely key for me.

I’ve learned through the years the MOST IMPORTANT day of business travel for me is the 1ST day of the trip.

Why?

It’s rather simple. Because how the 1st day goes, the rest of my trip usually goes. A creature of habit.

If I can establish an “anchor” of certain behaviors on my 1st day, they will be my anchor keeping me grounded for the rest of the trip.

On the flip side, I witness first-hand business travelers with shallow or no anchors and their 1st day of the business trip is inconsistent and all over the place.

And I’ve learned, once the train leaves the station, or in my case, the plane leaves the airport, I need to work my Anchor Day Plan.

Not going to be THAT guy anymore. Sorry Ed McMuffin Man (not really).

 

Personal Example…

So, let’s work through the three aspects of an Anchor Day in my example of a Road Warrior:

Set Date – 1st day of my business travel – this is my WHEN

Catalyst Behaviors – What I EAT / How I MOVE / When I Sleep

 

And here are some examples for me personally:

1. Taking my Breakfast with me – I no longer leave this chance (AND if I have a healthy breakfast I’m FAR more likely to have a healthy lunch/dinner)

2. Movement – When I choose to stand more than sit, walk every chance I can, and get at least a few minutes of exercise no matter what and where I will feel so much better

3. Develop – I make sure I carve some time to develop both professionally and personally (which usually means reading)

4. Connect/Check in with Home – this is done by early morning videos/audio/text messages so my family has them from me before they even wake up

5. Rest – Early Bed Time – this is SO key the 1st day because most of the time I have an early flight and changing time zones

 

Now, remember, after the Set Date and Catalyst Behavior, is the 3rd aspect of the Anchor Day which is…

Specific Triggers – reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE

Water bottle / Tupperware / snack bag out the night before
Apple Watch alarms – stand/drink water
Book in my work bag on the flight

What This Means to You…

What if you created your own Anchor Day on business travel? You have the same thing in common as me that every trip has a 1st day.

Here’s the challenge, what behaviors could be a catalyst for the rest of your trip’s success?

And what triggers could you put in place to make them a reality?

Let me give you some key areas:

Food
Movement (standing/walking / working out)
Personal and/or Professional Development
Checking in back home
Proper rest

The Challenge – Find a way to leverage the 1st day of your trip focusing on catalyst behaviors and creating specific triggers to make it happen. You got this.

 

 

 

 

Why You Must Carry a Lunch Box to Work on the Road

Elite Road Warrior Group Research shows that this one simple bad habit takes down many road warriors. You find them everywhere. In the airport, flight, gas station, board room, the bar, and on and on.
What is it?
Snacks.

Now, Russ loves snacks. The problem is, he eats them on the road at the worst times, not to mention he eats the wrong things.  It starts with plane snacks (and I don’t mean plain), whether at the airport or on the actual plane.

Then there are snacks offered during a meeting or a conference.

And how do you resist “snacky” things at the bar? (You know, the ones that have had who knows how many drunk hands touching them?)

Russ wonders why he feels like he never really eats a full meal yet he is overweight.  C’mon Russ, seriously?

Why You Must Carry a Lunch Box to Work on the Road

One of the smallest yet most effective energy habit changes I made on the road was learning to carry a controlled substance. I know, most of the time that’s illegal, but as most things, there’s a way around it.

In this case, it’s carrying the correct controlled substance: a healthy and sustainable snack.

The power behind the concept is two parts and in the name.

1. Carrying – You bring it with you/carry it along with you. I can already hear the whining (and I don’t mean vino):

  • I’m trying to pack light.
  • I already have too much to carry.
  • What if it needs to be refrigerated?
  • I have small hands and it will bring attention to them (okay, I may have pushed it on that one).

These are all easy issues to overcome, and we’ll address them later, but for now, you need to carry – packing some heat, my friend.

2. Controlled – This is the opposite of Russ because it is not reactionary but controlled.

  • You bring it – You literally bring food with you from home (it’s possible and we’ll talk about what and how).
  • You buy it – This requires a little more effort on the road, but you literally find a healthy store to buy controlled substances for you to have on hand to eat on the road.

Carrying a Controlled Substance is YOUR Lunch Box you must carry with you on the road.

The point of this article is minimizing and ultimately eliminating being caught off guard. When I don’t Carry and Control my supplemental nutrition, I get reactive and lazy.

Not a good combination on the road.

You may be asking, “But what do you put your food, your controlled substance, in while traveling?
Well, it’s not an old school or a “carrying booze” paper bag, but a well-thought-out item.

And full disclosure, I tried one of those old school metal lunch boxes but I couldn’t fit everything I wanted in it. Just goofin – although, that would be cool and a great conversation starter in an airport.

The one I finally landed on I found on Amazon (imagine that) it’s called the OPUX Premium Insulated Lunch Box

This OPUX lunch box has:

  • Black Fabric with two zippers
  • 10 x 8 x 5.5in
  • Two handles – one on top and one on the side. The side handle has a clip to attach it to anything you want
  • Optional strap if you so desire to use it
  • Insulated inside as well as an insulated pouch
  • 10 Different color choices

What I love about the one handle is I can attach it to my carry-on handle. I put it on top of my computer bag so it’s easy to get around and not “one more thing” to carry.

 

THREE WAYS YOU CAN CARRY A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

1. YOUR FIRST MEAL

So many road warriors become victims right out of the gate (literally and figuratively). They leave the house and decide to get a quick breakfast at the airport. I meet a certain guy often on the plane and have even given him a nickname: Egg McMuffin Man.

Let me tell you his story…

He sits down (we’ll call him Ed McMuffin), opens up his McDonald’s bag, and pulls out his two Egg McMuffins, hash brown, and his extra-large Diet Coke. (Pause) Of course.
As he’s scarfing down his food like someone is going to try and steal it or something, he looks over at me.
Let me set the full picture: I’m eating a controlled substance. I brought my own breakfast called the Anchor Day Casserole through security and even on to the plane (I know, crazy, right?!). I feel stoked to have my clean and green meal, and in this case, it is the first meal of the day on the first day of my business trip.

Egg McMuffin Man looks at me, looks at my controlled substance, looks down at his food, then the justifications begin.

Ed: “Yeah, I was in a hurry this morning.”
Me: “Really?” (With just a touch of sarcasm leading him to tell me more…)
Ed: “Had to grab something quick.”
Me: “Hmmm.” (Long pause for dramatic effect.) “In that long McDonald’s line?”
Ed: “Yeah, it took like 20 minutes.”
Me: “Bummer,” (then with a sense of pride and joy,) “this took me two minutes to warm up and 30 seconds to put in this Tupperware to take it to go.”
Ed: (Quickly responds) “I used to be THAT guy. Now I’m THIS guy.”
Me: “Why don’t you get back to being THAT guy again?”
Ed: (Starts talking again as ketchup drips on his dress shirt)

and the excuses begin all over again…Give it a rest, Ed. Make a healthier choice.

I want to do everything I can to make sure the very first meal of my trip or the very first meal of any day on the road is clean and green, and I’ll go to great lengths to make that happen.
You have control. Step up and take it.
This principle can also apply for your last meal, and I don’t mean “dead man walking” on Death Row.

I’m talking about before your flight home.
Often, I’ll purchase a healthy meal and take it to-go so I can eat at the airport or on the plane so I’m not left with minimal options and maximum justifications.
This can be done and carrying a controlled substance in your Work Lunch Box makes it possible.

2. YOUR GREENS

The road offers “greens” and I don’t mean cold hard cash, but they’re often hard to come by on the road.
I mean nutritional greens that you intentionally add to your daily nutrition. Well, it is difficult if you leave it to chance.

Do you get a sense I don’t leave this to chance anymore? Nor should you! You need to have a plan for making sure you’re getting proper fuel in your system on a consistent basis, and this begins with your greens.

HERE ARE THREE QUICK WAYS TO KEEP THE GREENS COMING DURING YOUR DAY:

  • ASK

There are certain hotels that will have greens with their breakfast. If you are at a hotel that has a breakfast buffet and an omelet bar, they most likely have spinach. I’ll request a large side of sautéed spinach, which is a perfect way to add greens to your breakfast.  At every restaurant, I ask for more greens than what’s on the menu, but here’s the difference: I ask for one now and one to go. I want to have them later, even if later never comes (but somehow it always does).

  • BRING

This is my master evil plan all the time. I make sure I have at least enough greens for my 1st day of travel and not leave it to chance.

Again, in a pinch (literally), you could use a high-quality greens powder to keep all your options open.

  • BUY

Begin to get in the habit of stopping somewhere to stock up on your snacks, especially your greens, so you can have them when (not if) you need them. I’ll buy a bag of spinach, kale, or spring mix to have and can keep in the hotel fridge. It’s only a few dollars and worth having on hand.

Now, the 3rd way to carry a controlled substance in your Work Lunch Box is…

3. YOUR GO-TO SNACK

All of us tend to have a snack we prefer. We eat it by default and we choose it regularly.
On the road, we need to make the healthiest choice and choose a healthy go-to snack.
Mine is mixed nuts (peanuts and fillers sold separately and for the record, I used to work for peanuts, so I don’t need to eat them!). It’s one of two fuel foods I purchase every time on the road (the other being mixed greens). Here are my choices of mixed nuts confirmed by the research of Dr. Axe

  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Brazilian Nuts
  • Cashews
  • Pistachios

Nuts are rich in fiber and smart fats. Since your brain is approximately 60 percent fat, you need good fat in your diet to nourish it, and nuts are one of the most brain-nourishing choices you can make.

I’m a huge fan of mixed nuts because of their big punch of nutritional value and how easy they are to take on the go.  Not all nuts are created equal. While there are plenty of nuts jam-packed with nutrients, some types of processing may diminish the health benefits of nuts.
Pre-shelled nuts, for instance, leave the natural casings of the nut exposed, causing the natural fats and oils to break down and become rancid more easily. Pre-seasoned or flavored nuts can also be high in added sugar or salt, reducing their health properties. Even nuts that are roasted can be unhealthy because they are roasted in harmful hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats.

You don’t have to choose my go-to snack (although I highly recommend choosing at least a couple of mixed nuts that you like).

Here’s the Key: Find something low in sugar and high in protein every chance you can.

PRO TIP: Stop at a grocery store (healthier the better like Whole Foods or TJ). But I hear often, “I don’t have the time!” You’re right, you never “have time” you must “make the time.”

If you plan for it, it’s amazing how quickly you can get in and get out. But again, this is a pro trip, not an excuse tip.

Lastly, what do I actually put the food in and how do I eat it?

Key Items to Maximize the Lunch Box

1. Spork – but wait, there’s more. The one I use has a knife option as well. I know, right?
I used to bring crappy plastic wear from home or picked them up at the airport but often forgot them or they were just so flimsy. I invested a few dollars and bought a camping style spork with a knife – 12 Pack Sporks, Durable & BPA Free Tritan Sporks, Spoon Fork & Knife Combo Utensils

I carry two with me at all times and put them in the inside pocket of the Work Lunch Box

2. Tupperware – I geeked out on this one after thinking any kind would do.
But I wanted to maximize my space in my lunch box and I also wanted the Tupperware to stay sealed.
So, I use one that is: “8.5 x 2.5 x 6
Then two that are: “6 x 2.5 x 4
So it maximizes space and can stack right on top of each other
Ironically, I found mine at Pavilions in Southern California. Go Figure. I haven’t been able to find the exact ones on Amazon just yet.
I did find something close here

You just have to experiment with whatever you chose as your Work Lunch Box.

3. Pink Sea Salt / Pepper Grinders – I’m a big fan of pink Himalayan sea salt due to the incredible trace minerals found in it and it’s the healthiest salt you can eat. I also like ground pepper so I have two small grinders that easily fit in my Work Lunch Box. I found mine at Trader Joe’s.

4. Individualized Wet Wipes – Why? Have you seen me eat? Just kidding.
But I want to stay as healthy as I can on the road and one of the most germ-infested locations is a plane and specifically the seat tray.
How many times have you seen someone sick rest their head on the seat tray and hack all over it.
And I’m going to put my Work Lunch Box and healthy meal on THAT? Not a chance.
So, I have these individualized wet wipes to wipe down the tray AND seat
I have them on the road in a pinch.
I bought off Amazon: Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand and Face Wipes Singles, 24-Count (Pack of 5)

Note: I also carry tea bags in my Lunch Box (I’m not a coffee guy but a tea freak, okay snob) and both the Individualized Wet Wipes and tea bags easily fit in the front zipped pocket.

Packing your own healthy food may be a new concept for you. So, your baby step to carrying a controlled substance may simply be to bring your first meal or bring some healthy snacks at home. Or it may be to get the suggested lunch box.

Do something, anything, just not nothing to master the business travel life.
Go and get your Fuel Edge on today!

This article is brought to you by the Sleep Score Labs where you can find all types of sleep resources such as blue-blocker glasses and eye masks that I endorse and actually carry in my Road Warrior sleep kit.