Frequent Flyers: How to Maximize Your Air Time

Have you ever found yourself sitting on a plane for a one or two-hour flight, wishing you had something to do? While frequent flyers or road warriors often have gear like Blackberries or laptops so they can work while en-route, there are other ways to use that air time that may in fact result in more productivity and less stress in the long run.

With the advent of portable gadgets designed to make our lives more efficient, sometimes it is difficult to get away from work. While your air time may present a few quiet moments to finish up a task with your laptop, or send email via your PCS, your time may be better spent other ways. Always carry a pen, a notepad or journal, your business cards, and reading material with you and use these to maximize your air time.

What are the chances that the person next to you is also a road warrior? Take a risk, and start up a conversation. Two of my dearest friends today are people I met on a plane. One was heading to her honeymoon, and the other was a bank executive with claustrophobia. The honeymooner is a small business owner and her husband sold insurance at the time. The bank executive has moved on now to Switzerland, but we still stay in touch. Who knows? At some point I may end up doing business in Switzerland! Many of the business cards I have in my rolodex were garnered from conversations that were initiated while we stood in line waiting to go through customs or security, or to pass the time because of a delayed flight. Your next great business deal may begin in the air!

Rather than taking your laptop out to kill time, why not bring a good book? A fantasy that takes you away from your real world to a faraway land, or a story that captures your imagination is a terrific, stress-free way to kill off a couple of hours. Try to stay away from industry-related reading, unless of course, this is your only chance to fit it in before your next appointment. Another option for in-flight reading is a carefully chosen non-fiction work. Choose from a biography, an inspirational or motivational book, or something along the lines of self-improvement.

You can also use your air time as a private planning session. Perhaps you have had some great ideas percolating in your brain for a while, but haven't had the opportunity to flesh them out. Pull out your notepad and a pen and start outlining your ideas. List the pros and the cons, define the steps you need to take, and begin mapping out a route to take you to your goals. By using your air time to network, rest your brain, or to strategize your next steps, you will find yourself more rested, and less scattered in your thinking when you land. This will free your brain power to focus on the task at hand with more clarity, resulting in greater effectiveness.