How to Use Travel Delays to Your Advantage

Rick Goodman — March 2, 2017 Follow @DrRickGoodman

Nobody likes travel delays, but they can be especially frustrating when you’re an entrepreneur or an executive with a lot on your plate. When you have a million things you need to be doing, sitting in an airport is about the last thing in the world you’d like to be occupying your time with—but wait: There are ways to actually use your flight delays to mark things off your to-do list. Allow me to offer a few suggestions.

Make Use of Your Travel Delays

• Streamline your check-in process. Sign up for airline apps, or consider getting pre-checked with the TSA. Even if you’re sitting at the gate for a while, getting checked in quickly can give you more down time to get some work done!
  
• Don’t forget to make a to-do list. Have a quick rundown of short, manageable goals that you can accomplish while you’re waiting for your plane.
  
• Be equipped with good Internet access! This is where a personal Wi-Fi hotspot on your mobile device can really become invaluable.
  
• On a related note, have some device chargers handy! Make sure you don’t leave them in a checked bag.
  
• Use your time in the airport to prep for upcoming meetings or presentations. Make sure you’re ready for whatever engagements you have once you get off the plane, since that’s probably where your mind will be anyway.
  
• Catch up on emails. The airport can be as good a place as any to catch up on overdue correspondence.
  
• Alternatively, take some time to pursue inbox zero! Either file or trash all the messages in your general email inbox area.
  
• Make some phone calls—so long as they’re relatively brief ones. The airport isn’t conducive to long phone conversations, but can be just fine for quick check-ins.
  
• Get up to date on what’s going on in your industry. Read up on some blogs and news headlines. Also consider getting some documents ready to be read offline, once you get onto the plane.

There are plenty of ways you can make your time in the airport productive, though I would also urge you to take some time to just chill if you need it; maybe the most productive thing you can do in an airport is to just rest up and restore some mental health and clarity.

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