When you are traveling for a vacation with family and friends, all the hassles of the trip can be very easily tolerated simply because of the promise of good times with your loved ones. However, frequent business travel with flights leaving at odd hours, hectic workdays, and a succession of strange hotel beds can get immensely tiresome. Eric J Dalius, a successful entrepreneur and a frequent flyer shares the secret of keeping your sanity and make your business trips more productive.
Image by Steve Buissinne
Plan Carefully and Double-Check Everything
The success of every trip depends largely on how well you can plan it out. It is important to get the dates of your meeting right, account for the difference in the time zones, and make your flight and hotel bookings accordingly. If you need to make rental car reservations, don’t wait till the last minute. Set an alarm so that you don’t miss your flight and travel light, preferably only with hand baggage to eliminate the hassles of checking in baggage and waiting interminably at the carousel. Have copies of all essential documents, including your presentation, backed up on the cloud so that you have access whenever you want,
Pack Accessories to Help Retain Your Sanity, Recommends EJ Dalius
When traveling, it can often be better to use the opportunity to relax and destress yourself. Make sure you carry with you a pair of good noise cancellations earphones or if you are not so much into music, even a pair of earplugs will do admirably to cut out the external noise. Having a pair of headphones wrapped around your ears is also a very effective way of telling others not to disturb you. If you love reading, you can think of carrying a Kindle or similar e-book reader to catch up on your reading, advises Eric Dalius. Many of the smartphones nowadays are large enough to act as an e-reader while also letting you catch up on your emails and social media.
Carry Appropriate Clothing
It is always good to dress conservatively at business meetings so be sure to pack appropriately. Pay attention to your nightclothes, if you are going to share a room with a colleague. Lady travelers should focus on utilitarian clothes and stuff that can be mixed and matched to create a different look for evening get-togethers. Make sure you have comfortable footwear that you can wear throughout the day. Go slow on jewelry and cosmetics. Read up on the accepted apparel if you are visiting a country known to be culturally conservative.
Conclusion
While the purpose of making the trip is to get things done quicker and more effectively than over the phone, there is no point in setting yourself a killing schedule day after day. Not only do you undergo physical and mental fatigue that can make you less effective but also you can end up being a big drag on the rest of your team. It is important to know how to chill out after work out. Take time out to enjoy the local culture and cuisine or take in the scenic beauty of the place you are visiting for a more rounded trip.
