When I travel I love to think through my life. It seems like often this is the only time I have away from everything enough to gain proper perspective on everything. The hardest part of this is the actual getting away part. I seem to put off travel out of the demand I have on my own schedule.

Hard or Easy? Traveling for fun to Profit

I love nothing more than getting out of town for a “quick” long weekend. I also love visiting Aruba, British Columbia, and anywhere in between. While traveling I have found it better to have a “doing” goal in mind for the trip. A handful of things I want to do while I am in the destination. This makes the journey more peaceful internally for me as traveling and trying to figure every detail in the meantime can cause more internal crappy stress than the trip is worth.

The easiest way to do this is to take a twice folded piece of paper and writing down three to four things that I want to be. Then I turn it over and write three to four things I can do on this trip that support those “being” statements. This sounds difficult in theory. It isn’t as all. This is a trip. You can be whoever you want to be for this trip.

Example:

Being:

1. Fit and Healthy (Vibrant)
2. Fun and Relaxed (Smooth)
3. Techie and Smart (007)
4. Tan and Suave (BeachBod)

Turns into

Doing:

1. Eat at 4 star Restaurant with friends
2. Go to Mac Store – Check out Class
3. Outside – Beach, Lay by Lake, Go For Run
4. Find Great Spot to Chill and Cocktails

Now this might not look like much…

Why Does This Work When Traveling?

I don’t want to claim to know every reason but I can tell you that getting my inner psychology into a simple folded piece of paper seems to keep all that crazy satisfied. I publish on my blog thewillrobins.com regularly and I often have inner turmoil of trying to blurt out everything to everyone all at once. I have learned that just dumping it makes me focused.

Taking it into travel has really allowed me to focus while on the trip.

Focus While Traveling?

I focus on a few things while traveling. Once I have the inner demons at calm levels I can focus more on my “get away” and looking back.

The looking back is where we gain accessibility into the profit portions of our brain. We are able to actually think through a sentence without a phone ring, email ding, text bing, or im chime. These moments are critical and very nice. I spend them often just thinking. I may take a few notes and set an alert to read them a couple of days after my return. This focus allows me to really process what is going on and how it could get better. I also take the time to realize how they could be worse and I am grateful.

The travel time is best used

I listen to audio books, music, read something, or just think. I can honestly say that on the way to the destination I can think about something critical. The trip back, often a few days later, normally brings me a better idea about how to improve that item. This of course only started once I began dumping my stressful internal turmoil onto paper.

Sum it all up.

There is literally no better way to gain perspective and insight into your business or job than leaving it for a while. Want to be a better parent, gain clarity away from your kids. These precious moments of travel and fun can fuel your major accomplishments if you utilize the time in a productive manor.

• Get out the inner turmoil
• Focus on becoming who you want to be
• Think on the subjects that are at arm’s length on way to destination
• Make Notes to bring your back to your thoughts later
• Let your Mind work
• Focus again on the trip back

I hope you enjoy your next trip and have a profitable travel.