Chapter 12

ADVICE FOR INTROVERTS WHO TRAVEL FREQUENTLY FOR WORK

THE NATURE OF MY JOB often requires that I travel. Such travel might be a round trip where I’m traveling back and forth on the same day, or I might be sent out for a much longer period of time. I might be traveling within Asia; I might have to fly a full day to go halfway around the world. Each time I go on a business trip, I need to mentally prepare for a long time. The moment I leave, I need to very carefully calculate the energy I’m spending.

CAREFULLY ALLOCATING AND LOWERING YOUR ENERGY EXPENSE

If you’re trying to figure out ways to lessen the amount of energy you’re spending on a business trip, one way is to ask for a higher business trip budget; for instance, if you’re flying, you might ask to be booked in a business class seat instead of economy, or you might ask to be booked in a four-star or better hotel instead of a motel, or you might just ask to have your lodging located close to the meeting venue. The benefits of these adjustments might include guaranteeing yourself a good night’s rest. Unfortunately, some businesses, don’t have the financial leeway to make such changes for their employees traveling on the company’s dime. If this is the case for my trip, I’ll use some other slightly more flexible personal options including going through some formalities before my trip. I might check in to my flight in advance and pick the seat I want. This way, not only do I decrease the time for which I’m feeling anxious or a sense of urgency, but I can also guarantee that my trip will be a bit smoother and more peaceful. If it’s a short flight, I often like sitting in a window seat to avoid my sleep being disturbed by people walking down the aisle; if it’s a long-haul flight, I’ll choose an aisle seat so I can go to the lavatory whenever I need to and so I don’t have to bother other people by doing acrobatics over them saying, “Sorry . . . excuse me . . . coming through.” These are examples of how, with a little bit of attention and preparation, you can save a bit of your mental energy.

After the plane’s wheels touch the ground and the business itinerary starts, I have to carefully allocate my energy. For example, I don’t schedule more than one private meeting with big clients on the same day. If I know I’ve got a few exhausting meetings, I will arrange for these to be on different days. In between, I can squeeze in a few clients with whom I’m much more familiar or I can set up some relatively simple lunch or dinner meetings. I’ll also get up early and plan out a mental map of the events I have to attend throughout the day: Today, I have to meet with that client. Who’s attending the meeting? What are the goals of the meeting? What questions might they ask? After the meeting or conference, what cafe do I want to go to for a mental recharge? Where is the next meeting? How much time do I need to cut across town for that meeting? How can I make sure I get a chance to rest for a bit along the way?

When you’re on a business trip, it’s hard to avoid running into unexpected situations occasionally. Temporary schedule changes and changed flights (ticket issues, gate changes, and so on) are all common. For introverts, prior planning and confirmations can reduce the risk of such sudden changes. Also, as long as you can find an anchor in the middle of these changes, you can still end up winning and come out on top.

CREATING A PORTABLE COMFORT ZONE

For introverts who become nervous easily, creating a kind of mobile mental space that they can take everywhere and dart into for protection is a must when they’re on a business trip. You can imagine this kind of space as a mental monastery, or a protective bubble belonging to just you, like the absolute terror forcefield in the manga and anime, Neon Genesis: Evangelion. Some options for creating this forcefield include wearing a thick wool scarf that you can wrap around yourself, wearing sunglasses that completely conceal your eyes, stowing a little therapy doll in your briefcase, bringing along your favorite perfume that you can spritz on yourself, wearing a pair of earbuds so you can listen to your favorite music, or wearing a big hat or a meat dress like Lady Gaga to keep others at bay (OK . . . maybe that’s a bit much). In short, you can regain your energy by using these small items and the familiarity they give you to create that sense of being protected and having control over your environment.