How Do I Make It Easier?

As many of you know, I am on the road well over 50% of the year. Being that it was my first full year of that kind of travel last year, I didn’t know just how challenging it would be.

I don’t just mean in terms of not being home and maintaining routines. I mean even just small things like having to pack an unpack my freaking toiletries every time I came home.

That and eating as much hotel food as I did, even though I always choose the healthiest thing on the menu, took its toll big time.

Not to mention that my overall health and fitness took a backseat too.

So during our break this past December I decided I was going to do it differently in 2018.

Whether you travel a little or a lot, I wanted to share with you the 10 things that I have implemented that have made my life SO much easier and have really kept me on track, even, on the road. Alisa Vitti who is an expert in women’s health and especially hormone balance and adrenal fatigue, says in her book Woman Code that we often think that going on a vacation or work trip means we don’t have to do our regular routines or it will be hard to do them and the truth is that when you go away, your brain is primed for creating new neural pathways so to create a new habit is actually easier and to maintain your routines is really important.

1. The first thing I did was to get some great gear. Having a lightweight, easy to maneuver suitcase is huge. They are so reasonably priced at Costco. I got a set of 2 for $150!
2. I got two of everything in my toiletries and makeup. One of the biggest hassles was just packing and unpacking that stuff every time. Now I don’t even have to think about it. That stuff just stays in my suitcase.
3. If I know that I am going to be gone for more than 3 days (which is most times for me), I take with me a second smaller suitcase which I lovingly refer to as my kitchen. In it, I have a small collapsible silicone tea kettle, a portable blender, a small hot plate (yes that says hot plate. I’ll explain in a moment), and all of my supplements and protein shakes. See, I am determined this year to keep my food as clean as possible!
4. I started researching meal delivery services in all the cities I go to before I get there and I have as many clean meals as days I am there delivered to my hotel…hence the hot plate so I can reheat the food. Now, you could use the microwave but I don’t use them because of what they do to food…discussion for another time.
5. I have Beachbody on demand! See, I hate hotel gyms and I don’t have the luxury of staying at a hotel that has a nice run path nearby so the on-demand option lets me have hundreds of workouts at my fingertips wherever I go.
6. I made a commitment with one of my colleagues that we would work out together every day when we are on the road together. This way, on the days when I don’t want to get up 5:30 I just do because we made a commitment to each other to keep us accountable.
7. Melatonin, sleep mask, and earplugs. Sleep is so important. I make sure I am going to get the good kind. I also have a white noise app on my phone which I like because it drowns out anything that could wake me up.
8. I stick to my spiritual practices. This is huge. I meditate every day and do my Ho’oponopono (Hawaiian practice of forgiveness) every night. This is just maintenance. When I don’t do it, I feel a huge difference.
9. When I get back, I immediately unpack and do laundry. I find if I wait, it feels like a chore but if I do it right away, it is almost like the completion of the trip
10. I practice gratitude. On any day whether I am traveling or at home, I finish the day looking back (recapitulation) and highlighting the 3 things I am most grateful for. This keeps me energized and I go to bed feeling awesome

Some of these things are easy and some take a little doing but all of them have seriously upgraded my experience as a road warrior. I hope you find a few nuggets to make your travel life easier as well.

Planning ahead is the key to success in anything. I love the quote, “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. Now, we don’t really buy into the failure in NLP (There is no such thing as failure only feedback) and the quote makes a good point about thinking ahead.

Here’s to your continued success and resilience!

From my loving heart to yours with Aloha,

Pegah