Lessons from One Million Miles
As I write this, I've just crossed my one-millionth mile flown. 😱✈️🌎
I’m on a flight back to Seattle from D.C. after spending a few days at the NonProfit POWER Summit in Baltimore, where I previewed my upcoming book about how nonprofit leaders can tap into the subscription economy to grow recurring giving.
Above: Sharing the story of Sarah and Elijah and how the rise of sustainable giving is making it so more charities than at any time in history can tap into recurring giving. Stay tuned for an announcement about the book! 📖
I'm in a reflective mood, so this week’s Wave Report will be a little different. I wanted to share a few lessons I've learned from hundreds of trips over 20 years... and now, over 1 million miles of flying. 😊
10 Lessons from Flying 1 Million Miles
Most nonprofit leaders I know travel at least a few times a year – some far more. Here are ten lessons I’ve learned along the way. I hope you pick something up from this list that you can apply!
1. Everything is relative. Some people think I travel a TON, but I know people who would chuckle at my *light* travel schedule (ahem, Erik Tomalis, Nathan Chappell, and Steve Brock I'm looking at you!). Likewise, compared to others, I’m a grizzled road warrior. For me, it’s important to keep perspective – I’m blessed to get to travel, and in the grand scheme of things, it’s better than tolerable.
2. Set your limits. More than 15 years ago, my boss and mentor, Steve Woodworth, encouraged me to talk with my wife and set a limit for what was acceptable in our marriage for travel. Whether the number of days or trips, he encouraged us to talk about what would work for us and then set those boundaries. She and I discussed it and settled on two monthly trips. I’ve been able to hold to that boundary for a decade and a half, with rare exceptions. I also don’t travel on my kids’ birthdays or other important occasions – those are blocked on my calendar.
3. Travel time can be productive time. I used to think of travel time as lost time. It was the necessary waiting time to get where you were going and do "real work." I now look forward to what I can get done during my travel time. For me, it starts with an hour+ drive to the airport, where I'll often queue up a few topics I want to work through – an upcoming talk I'm working on, a strategy for a client, or a decision I've been mulling over. I'll start a voice memo on my phone and talk through whatever I'm working on. I might later use AI to transcribe the memo, but more often than not, it’s just helpful time to process. If I'm traveling with someone, we have things we can talk about; I enjoy the quiet of working uninterrupted on planes. You get the idea – travel time doesn't have to be lost time.
4. Get TripIt (if you travel much). Years ago, my assistant at the time got me into an app called TripIt. TripIt's promise is simple - "All your travel plans in one place." TripIt monitors my email inbox, and any flights, lodging, tickets, and reservations get automatically imported and sorted into upcoming trips. My wife has access so she can see my plans, and even better, she gets automatically notified when I land somewhere, or if there is a delay or an issue with a trip. Tripit keeps my hotel and rental car information, reminds me when to check in to flights, alerts me to potential problems, and when flight prices have dropped, saving me hundreds of dollars. If you travel much, get TripIt.
5. Pretend time zones don't exist. People love to complain about what time it is really at home. I get it; jet lag is real, but if I am +/-3 hours (basically anywhere in the continental U.S.), I find it easier to just forget about what time it is elsewhere. Whatever time it is where I am right now, that's what time it is. I try not to dwell on what time it is back home. It’s better to be present in the moment and not stress. This week in Baltimore, I didn’t think about it being 2:30 am back home when I got up. I just got up, showered, grabbed a cup of coffee, and went about my day.
6. Keep a list of friends by city. A few years ago, I started a list of friends and colleagues that I keep, organized by city. I traveled enough that I realized it was sometimes hard to remember where certain people were based, and if I ever had extra time, it was helpful to have a quick spot to see who was in the area. So next time I'm in Atlanta, if I have a little time, I can see that Matt, Dan, Robert, Dana, Patrick, and Robby are in the area.
7. AirTags provide peace of mind. As a general rule, I keep my luggage with me. I don't check bags if I can avoid it, but regardless, there are moments when I'm separated from my stuff. In those moments, it's helpful to have an Apple AirTag tracking the locations of things. Earlier this year I was at a conference in Chicago. I left my backpack in the bag check, and when I returned at the end of the day, it was gone! Thanks to the AirTag, I was able to locate it quickly using my phone, and I found out that it had been moved to another bag check location. Also, if I ever leave my bag or suitcase behind, I get an alert when I am too far away from it: "Dave's Backpack has been left behind." So helpful.
8. Establish healthy rhythms. Rhythms bring predictability. Rhythms provide sanity. Rhythms help reduce stress. I try to follow the same rhythms when I travel – the same liturgy, if you will. I pack my suitcase around the same time and in the same way. I know how many hours before takeoff I leave for the airport. I always park in the same offsite lot. Use the same security checkpoint, get coffee in the same spot... you get the idea. It helps remove the mental burden and some of the stress from travel.
9. On planes, get up and stretch. This one has become more important as I've gotten older. About five years ago I had a low back injury, which developed pretty intense sciatica – lower back pain. After a couple of years of physical therapy, chiropractic, and other treatments, I know I'm never far away from a flare-up. So, I try to do things like stretch every morning and night. But planes can be the worst, especially given the number of hours, and the poor ergonomics of seats. So I always try to get an aisle seat, and about once every 1-2 hours, I get up and walk to the bathroom, regardless of whether I need it. I stretch and just get moving. I also always have a cheap inflatable pillow in my bag that I put behind my back or sit on my own, which helps.
On to our last, but certainly not least, lesson learned from one million miles of travel
10. Not all bathrooms are created equal (i.e. airport bathrooms suck). I don't know what it is about airports, but whoever designs their bathrooms seems to have never actually used one in a public setting. The layouts are often counter-productive, forcing people to nearly run into each other as they enter and exit. The faucets, soap, and paper towels form some sort of modern Bermuda Triangle of dripping hands and wet floors.
Welcome to air travel! In all my years of traveling, I've found ONE bathroom that I thought, "This is well designed!" I haven't tried to find it in a year or two, but if you ever arrive in Denver, when you come up the escalator from the train to the main terminal, walk straight out, and to the right, hidden around a corner is the world's best airport bathroom.
Now you know. 🚽👍
I don't love travel, but I do love what I get to do when I travel: Be with people. Connect. Teach. Inspire. I've made travel work better for me, and I hope something I’ve shared can help it work better for you, too.
💡 Takeaway: If you travel, make it work for you. With a little bit of intentionality, travel can become a productive, low(er) stress experience, and appreciate what it enables you to do – connect with others, make an impact, and so on.
Until next week… Surfs Up! 🌊
- Dave
About the Author | Dave Raley
Consultant, speaker, and writer Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps non-profits and businesses create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of a weekly trendspotting report called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn.
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