Flying for Business: The valuable "in-between"

As I write these words, I am sitting at the airport while I await my twice-delayed flight that is scheduled to take off in a couple of hours. There is a freezing rain storm out there causing it all. I used to be frustrated by being taken hostage but I'm not anymore. After many years of traveling for business, I've come to value my flying time for these 6 reasons.

Here are the 6 reasons to enjoy flying:

1. Time slows down

All of a sudden, you find yourself  in a vacuum timeframe: there is NOTHING you can do to speed up the next stage while waiting for your next flight. Think about it for a second. You have no choice but to surrender to time. Once you pass the acceptance stage, everything slows down. You get to live in the "in-between" for a while.

2. You can be unreachable

Your team knows you are on the road. Your spouse and family secretly pray you'll be okay and will wait for you to call back to confirm you've arrived safely. It's like you have this strange free pass until you show up on the other side.

3. You walk more

Airports are big. You park and walk quite a bit to the terminal. You walk through security. Then, you walk to find a spot to sit because you got there early. Maybe later, you walk around because you are tired of sitting. Walking is one of the healthiest activity (and cheapest) and flying involves a lot of it. Well, until you sit for your flight.

4. You get to people watch

Admit it, you like to people watch. An airport is a great place to do so. You have the most diverse mix of demographics at the airport: The busy business person speeding by, the lovely retired couple strolling around, that college football team bantering loudly. People watching must be one of the most unofficial zen activities.

5. You catch up on reading

There is something about airports and reading. In this ultra connected online age, picking up a good old Stephen King at the airport's bookstore, or even a physical newspaper, feels so refreshing. This "in-between" moment triggers the reader in you.

6. You want to reflect and maybe even write

Even though you think and write all day long, writing at the airport feels so much more thoughtful. From a transactional writer (emails, texts, etc), you reach a stage of a reflective one. Maybe you reflect on your family life, your aspirations and maybe even that business idea you have. Writing in this mode can be an amazing moment, especially if you want to improve your business.

Fortunately, I have embraced the reality of delays at the airport. I appreciate it for its "in-between" quality as time slows down for a while. Being unreachable is a godsend to focus on the important stuff. I even get some time to write a post or two ;-)

Which of these reasons do you enjoy the most when flying for business?

__

If you liked this article, maybe you will like Sherpa's Small Business Method we use at Solpak to stay organized in our efforts.  Download it here for free.