There is very much a difference between business travel that
may last a day or two or even a week compared to the life some business people
must go through who travel continuously for weeks or months on end. But it is a necessity of some areas of business
that professionals representing that business do stay out on the road for a
very long time. These road warriors are
examples of people who understand the wear and tear the road can cause on the
body, mind and spirit after months of continuous travel.
As humans, we are designed to have homes and nest. So the life on the road runs against that
natural instinct to settle in one place and rest there. So the first challenge of traveling
continuously is finding ways to replicate a “normal life” despite the constant
travel. The one factor that can help
with combating road weariness is the psychological factor of familiarity.
Because business persons who travel for many weeks may not
see the same people for very long and often move from city to city, the hotels
and restaurants eventually begin to blur into one place and the desire for the
familiar and “home” starts to make itself known. So one way to provide that sense of sameness
is routine. Even on the road, one can
establish a routine that you can look forward to each evening. Whether that means watching the same
television shows, scheduling your calls home at the same time each day or week
or establishing hotel room rituals, by maintaining a “sameness” no matter where
you are living at any given time gives the traveler that sense of normalcy that
is missing in a life of nonstop travel.
Oddly enough, role models for living successfully on the
road are some rock and roll bands who have been living such a life for years if
not decades. If you examine their
approach to touring, the ones that live that life for very long learn quickly
to avoid substance abuse and live a healthy lifestyle. While the typical businessperson doesn’t have
to get up and perform on stage for thousands, it is important to sleep well and
see your digestive systems and regularity remain stable during the constant
change of travel.
That may mean establishing an exercise regime that you
simply do not break. A morning run
followed by a sauna and a light but healthy breakfast not only can get your day off on the right foot, it can
confirm your routine and that you are in charge of your lifestyle on the road,
not the hotel or the circumstances around you.
Another lesson we can witness from professional musicians
who travel a great deal is an intense devotion to professionalism. For the musician, they are on the road for
one and only one thing, to put on great shows for their fans. That focus can keep them centered for long
periods of time. We can translate that
focus to what we are about as we set out on a long business journey. By focusing on what we are on the road to
achieve and give that 100% of our best efforts, that will give us validation
when we find success at every stop along the way.
Musicians who learn to survive the road learn to take care
of each other and use a sense of family and mutual support to get through a
tough tour schedule. If you are
traveling with others from your business, that same mutual support can go a
long way to toward helping each you survive the experience. Talk openly about the challenges of traveling
for such lengthy periods of time. Form
an accountability structure to your professional friendships so each of you is
looking out for the other. If you can
get everybody out for that morning jog, soon your ability to work as a team
goes beyond just how you function during meetings but you become a mutually
supportive team in getting through the rigors of an aggressive business travel
schedule.
By looking at the challenge of surviving the wear and tear
of the road as one of life’s great adventures, you can gain an energy and a
resolve to win each and every day of your business journey. And that resolve will be contagious for your
fellow business travelers which translate into greater success in your business
ventures during the trip as well.
