Four Must Do Steps to Successfully Setting the Tone for Business Travel
I was on a recent flight and had a good conversation with a fellow traveling professional. We discussed the challenges of nutrition and fitness on the road and how easy it is to go off road at any point.
For Eric, the biggest indicator of his success was dependent upon one major factor:
Setting the tone for his week of travel
That’s it. If he figured this out, almost everything else fell in line for the week. Don’t get me wrong, he still had his challenges but getting the Trip Tone right from the start made a HUGE difference in his potential success.
But what is setting the tone and how do you do it effectively?
Setting the Tone means doing everything in your power to start your trip as strong as possible.
So how do you do it?
Here Are Four Must Do Steps to Successfully Setting the Tone for Business Travel:
1. Start the Trip Before It Begins
Most people just jump in the car or plane and let the 1st day take them where it leads then wonder what went wrong at the end of the day or even the trip. Imagine that.
I have to want to be successful the week I travel and I don’t mean professionally. It can’t be an after thought of “if I can fit it in and have time.” I simply gotta want a strong nutrition and fitness 1st day and a good night of rest.
I’m asking myself “what exactly is an ideal 1st day of travel and what will get my trip off to a great start?” Most never consider such a question and it’s a game changer.
This means in the heart I must have the motivation to eat healthy and exercise on the road. No one else can do it for me and if I wait until I have some extra time (the ultimate lie on the road), it will never happen.
I succeed before I ever get in my car or the plane for my trip by wanting it and thinking through it.
2. Eat Great Your 1st Day on the Trip
If I can get in a healthy breakfast then keep the momentum going at lunch I’m off to a great start to the week. And if I can round it out by a clean dinner that closes my 1st day nutritionally strong, then my trip has an exponentially higher chance of being great!
Sometimes for me that will mean taking the time to make a quality breakfast the night before my trip so I don’t get tempted to eat “just something quick” before a long flight. If I can have vegetable-filled organic scrambled eggs in Tupperware to eat on the plane, I’m money. And I’ve achieved my goal of eating my 1st great meal of the trip.
I have to plan ahead to make this step a reality and put me in reaction mode in the morning. But it’s SO worth the time and effort.
Or for Eric, it means locating all of the healthy restaurants around his hotel when coming to a new city or hitting healthy grocery stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joes immediately.
The point is thinking through each meal and snack so how you can set the right tone for the rest of the trip.
I encourage you to read the Post, Four Proven Guidelines to Eat Healthy on the Road. Click HERE.
3. Schedule My 1st Workout
Sounds easy enough, right? But it’s harder than you think.
My 1st day is often my most challenging day for working out because I’m usually up VERY early to catch the first flight out of Chicago and I’ve not checked into the hotel and have my routine set. I’m also on a different time zone and dragging from a long day. All of these can be excuses and who would argue them, right?!
But…
If I can squeeze in even a short workout, I gain control in the fitness area with my first win. This sometimes is more mental than physical and critical to for a successful workout week.
It’s more about setting the tone for my routine than a killer workout. If I can make it to the fitness center, get my body and mind used to the surroundings and push myself hard even for a few minutes, this is a massive win.
I encourage you to read the post, The Biggest Daily Lie I Tell Myself regarding workouts. Click HERE.
4. Get As Much Sleep on the 1st Night
Chances are your day started earlier and could possibly end later than normal. And you may be dealing with a change of time zones. This can wreck havoc on your body and your routine.
If you start from empty and make decisions when you’re tired or even exhausted, you are far more likely NOT to make the healthiest choice. Read HERE.
I do whatever I can to get to sleep as soon as possible and start the next full day of travel fully rested. And when I do, I can gain momentum on a healthy 1st day of nutrition and getting some type of workout in on day one.
Do whatever you can to get rested on your 1st night to only increase your chances of success the rest of the trip. Even if it takes you awhile to get to sleep, get into the habit of taking care of your body on the 1st day of the trip. This will take practice but you will be amazed at the results over time.
I encourage you to read the post, Three Decisions That Will Make Or Break a Good Night of Sleep. Click HERE.
Closing Challenge…
Setting the tone for your trip may be a new concept for you but one that will change the success of your entire trip.
Whether you travel every week, once in awhile, for the entire week or just a few days, you need to set the tone for your trip if you want to succeed with your health and ultimately your professional results.
I challenge you to implement these four steps and see what happens. It will be worth the time for the limited efforts.
Closing Question…
What is holding you back from implementing these four steps to set the tone for your trip?
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