Do you ever feel unproductive? Do you go through periods where you struggle to know what to do? Do you become frustrated because you feel so disorganized? It can happen to anyone.
For twelve days, I am travelling with my kids for a mixture of business and fun. In addition to hiking, sightseeing, and just relaxing as a family, I am also having meetings, business dinners, and training entrepreneurs. On the road, it can feel daunting; living out of a suitcase and hotel hopping does not always create the same productive environment as my home office.
Whether you are taking one of the 488 million business trips that Americans make annually according to the Global Business Travel Association, or simply find yourself navigating work and life, having a solid productivity routine can help.Â
I woke up this morning, in my hotel, and meditated on exactly what to share with you and this is what came to me. My intention, as always, is to inspire you to become more productive so you can lead a ridiculously fulfilling life.Â
Here are the strategies I personally use to create my own productivity routine. This allows me to create results whether I am in a hotel, travelling to Australia on a sixteen-hour flight, or working from home when my kids are off from school. Hopefully these will assist you in creating your own productivity routine, get more things done in less time, and free up space in your life to do the things you love.
1. Sleep – seriously, you are not going to feel productive if you are exhausted. Sara Blakely, the doyenne of Spanx, allegedly will leave a business dinner to be in bed on time regardless of where she is. Blakely aims for eight hours. Personally, on the road, I set seven as the target however I, too, am not ashamed to leave a party, or even forgo a gathering, to get my sleep.
2. Clarity – regardless of where I am, I wake up early to pray and meditate. Starting my day this way gives me tremendous clarity. Often new ideas come into my mind or I have an awareness that something I have decided to do isn’t in alignment with my goals in which case it must go. Clarity is necessary for productivity to occur and regardless of where you are, having a practice that invites calm, clear, certainty is key.
3. Vitamins – I pack my supplements and take them with me on trips. Getting sick takes anyone out of the game. When I am on the road, I take extra vitamin C, and other anti-oxidants. There is no time to get rundown and loading up on nutrients can help.
4. Writing – I write everything down. Regardless of where I am, I write out exactly what I intend to accomplish the next day, and what I get done, all day long. This helps me stay disciplined and furthermore keeps me honest with what I am actually achieving.
5. Focus – when I am travelling, my time is often limited. Between getting from one place to another, having periods without cell service (about three hours of the four-and-a-half-hour drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas has no service), additional meetings, and business dinners, there is ultimately less productivity time than when I am at home. The key to accomplishment is focus. I ask myself what is most important and get that done first.
This morning, as an example, the most important thing was to write this blog. In one company, I produce 1-2 unique blogs per week that I write, 1-2 podcasts, 20 social media posts, and at least 1 unique video. Today, we have a four-hour drive through The Rockies and thus, after I prayed and meditated this morning, I wrote this because it is the most important thing that I must get done.
A dear mentor taught me, ‘where our focus goes, our energy flows.’ This is the delineation between someone who is successful and someone who is not. The successful person focuses on actions that will help them reach their goals. The unsuccessful person focuses on things that will serve to re-affirm their current struggles. You see we are all focusing on something – the question is what?
is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, certified NLP practitioner, coach, and trauma recovery specialist. Susan specializes in helping people become more productive so they can lead ridiculously fulfilling lives. She is the mother of five and has been working in human potential for over two decades.
