How a Road Trip Taught Me the Unexpected Power and Efficiency of Being Present

Summer arrived on June 21st, and on June 22nd, we seized the day and left on a road trip.

Over the next 27 days, my husband and I covered over 6,000 miles through the west and upper midwest of the United States. From my perch in Navigator’s Nest, also known as the passenger seat, I got to see, and enjoy, lots of cows, farmland, trains, small towns, national parks, geologic formations, petroglyphs, and the odd bison.

I also saw old friends and made some new ones. I saw lots of family members and got to meet some new ones on my husband’s side. (At some point, I’ll figure out precisely who is who and how everyone is related.)

We stayed in beautiful hotels, classic cabins, and a few sketchy motels where we weren’t sure our car would still be there in the morning.

We checked out roadside attractions like the World’s Largest Muskie in Minnesota, a hand-carved carousel in Montana, and the Corn Palace in South Dakota.

To round things out, we hit our fair share of distinctive dive bars as part of our mission to find the most interesting one in all 50 states.

Thanks to my daily reading and sharing of trivia from One Day Smarter by Emily Winter, I learned quite a few things. For example, did you know that all the Froot Loops have the same flavor? Or that your femur is stronger than concrete? (You’re welcome.)

The one thing I hadn’t expected to learn while traveling was the power and efficiency of being present.

Except when sharing odd bits of trivia, I wasn’t a reader in the car. And while I could have used the long, monotonous stretches through Wyoming or Montana to scroll through social media or play games, I didn’t. As boring as some areas were, there was always something to see or talk about, or there was a Classic Rock song on the radio to sing along badly with.

Everything we were seeing and experiencing was new to us, and burying my face in my phone? I could stay home and do that.

Being present with all the new sights and experiences allowed my brain to run wild. I was able to let thoughts and ideas flow freely without judging anything and not push ideas to the back burner because I had the urgent need to take care of an email or talk with a client.

As a result, I was able to come up with ideas for future projects and future adventures. Questions got answered that had been rattling around in my brain. And connections appeared that should have been obvious but had been hidden by everyday distractions.

In short, as we rolled down the freeways and, occasionally, one-lane country roads, my brain got to work without interruptions and obstacles.

And the results were amazing.

Ignoring distractions and being present lets your brain do what it does best, think. And you don’t need a road trip to do it.

Just as I believe in scheduling solid focus sessions during the day to expand your ability to get things done effectively, being present and building downtime into your day are productivity power tools you should consider using daily as well.

Adding in this downtime doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Surprisingly, one of the best ways to do this is by taking a shower. You’re (usually) alone. You can’t interact with any screens. Your mind is free to wander and think and come up with all the connections and ideas it wants.

In an interview this week with the Wall Street Journal, author Gary Shteyngart said: “I’ve found showering to be so productive that I sometimes take more showers than necessary.” He said that one of his novels, Super Sad True Love Story, was written in the shower. “I was living in Italy at this writer’s retreat, taking long showers, and all these ideas came rushing through.”

Unfortunately, jumping in the shower isn’t usually an option during your work day. Still, there are other options you can consider.

It can be as easy as going outside when you finish a task and taking a walk (without taking your phone.) Or sitting with a cup of coffee and watching the clouds go by with no distractions to stop you.

Or grabbing some paper and doodling while listening to music. Or dancing to a few of your favorite songs. You don’t have to do any of these things for very long. Fifteen to 20 minutes can be enough if you do something without distractions.

Your brain is designed for thinking and does it best with nothing else competing for attention.

Being present prevents the tornado of distractions from constantly taking center stage and allows you to quietly meet one-on-one with your brilliant ideas, thoughts, and plans.

While it would be great to take 27-days on the road to be present (and believe me, it was!), you can be present right where you are today.

Step away from what you’re doing and check out some clouds. Or hop in the shower.

Your brain will love you for it.

#productivity #writing #entrepreneur #creativity #getthingsdone