Plan for What You Can
When we recorded Episode 10, Plan for What You Can, I had recently returned from a trip to visit our daughter and her family. It is a direct flight from Chicago to her city that takes 9 or 10 hours, and I break the trip up into time chunks for activities like reading, watching movies, dozing, and snacking. But the most important time management tool I have is an analog watch. The minute I’m on the plan, I set the time to the zone to which I am traveling. The time hack is key to me because I can prepare in advance to manage jet lag. I don’t want to spend a bunch of time catching up on sleep. I’m there to see my people!
The time hack has a bigger value for preplanning things you know in advance. A lot of life surprises us, but traveling over several time zones is not a surprise. It’s going to have an impact, and it’s an impact that we can plan for. I’ve learned to take some steps in advance:
I wear a watch so that once on the plane I can immediately change to the time zone to which I am headed, which is a six-hour difference to where I live. I adjust my thinking to the new schedule before I even get there.
When I get there, I get sunshine and fresh air as soon as possible. It resets my circadian rhythm.
I will allow myself a short, early afternoon (local time) nap. Less than a couple of hours, then get up and get going until a reasonable bedtime, often with an OTC sleep aid on the first night.
With these tips, it really only takes a day to get adjusted. And that’s key for me because I’m eager to spend all my waking moments interacting with my darling grandson.
We have several phases of life ahead of us, and much of the time we spend right now north of 60 is spent in planning for what’s ahead. Envisioning yourself in the years to come, in health, housing, finances, and more. When Nancy relocated a couple of years ago, conversations were around where they wanted to be long-term and issues related to that. How do we stay in the day while planning for the future? Maybe it’s the opposite. Anxiety-relieving planning takes some of the pressure off and equips us to be present.
On the plane, I no longer have to worry about what the jet lag might be like. I’ve taken steps to address it ahead of time. A slow and steady discipline to have the vision, to be mindful and intentional, and then do the next right thing. You only have to do the one next step. As always there are a few tensions to manage, but the reward is out there. Making long-term investments in planning for our own lives and for the impact on those we love is worth our time and brain-space. Let’s plan for what we can.
POINTS OF GRATITUDE
I’m thankful for the means and ability to travel to see my family, and for their warm welcome when I arrive.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:
What traditions you are creating with your grandchildren, especially if they live far away?
What are your best travel tips?
To where would you like to travel?