This book tour is totally grueling.
The travel schedule is simply insane. Last week I gave a talk in Palm Springs Monday at 5pm. I drove my rental car like a maniac to the Orange County airport to make the 9:25 red eye to Newark. After landing at 5am, I made my way to a connecting flight that got me to Farmington PA in time for a 9am talk.
Right after the talk, I was shuttled to the Pittsburgh airport, where I caught a flight to Chicago. The next day, after my talk, I took a flight to Toronto. The next day, I gave a talk, then caught a flight to NYC. Now it's Friday, and I'm pretty tired. I gave my talk at the World Blu conference, then caught the 6pm flight back to LA. I had Saturday at home, then on Sunday I left for Salt Lake city to moderate a two day conference on sustainability. As I write this post I am on my way to Hawaii for a talk tomorrow AM.
Next week has me rolling through Chicago, Raleigh, Kansas City and Portland. Like I said, this is a grueling lifestyle.
I have to be on every single day, and I can NEVER be in a bad mood. What's my secret to travel success? The three R's:
1. Rehearse — Before a big week, I spend some quality time mentally going through all the parts of the week's travel schedule. I play the whole set of scenes in my mind, complete with complications. I recheck all the details at least three times. I meditate on it the night before I leave. I continue to rehearse as the trip unfolds.
2. Relax — I take very deep breaths, stretch and find humor in travel complications. Things happen. If you have enough redundancy (booking multiple flights to get to the same place), very little actually goes wrong. I've learned that none of this is life or death, unless I let myself get stressed out. I play comforting music on my iPod and speak in soft tones. I smile often to strangers, especially TSA workers and airline employees.
3. Resist — I avoid comfort foods (fast, fried and snack), as well as excessive alcohol. I resist watching TV while trying to go to sleep. I totally stay focused on the week's activities, and spend my energy making my rehearsed travel steps come true without a stumble.
So far, so good. This life is crazy, but purposeful. I never forget why I'm doing this — to change the world one person at a time. It's working. People that attend my talks and read my books are motivated to find ways to make a difference at work.
If you haven't picked up a copy of my book, I urge you to support me by clicking on the links at the upper right hand corner of the page. If you've bought a copy, please review it online and tell your friends.
