Sometimes the key to being productive on the road is to think of yourself in the third person, as someone you need to carefully and deliberately influence. For example, make appointments with yourself – schedule tasks in your calendar, and consider them firm deadlines. If you have a long flight, make some reasonable commitments to yourself to get things done, but also allow time for relaxation and pleasure. If you’re working on something that will require extra time, find a stopping point when you’re actually in a groove – it will make you more enthusiastic about picking it up again later. When you’ve finished a task, develop a habit of stopping and feeling the earned satisfaction – sit back in your plane seat or on your hotel bed, and take in the joy of having completed something difficult. This creates new neural connections that associate productivity with pleasure rather than resentment.
Adapted from "How to Get Work Done on the Road," by Joseph Grenny
