622. How to Keep Essential Routines on the Road

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Travel does not have to mean abandoning everything that helps you feel like yourself. In this Habits Series bonus episode, Lesley Logan shares how she maintains supportive routines while traveling without becoming rigid or stressed. She explains how to scale habits down on the road, identify what truly matters, and release routines that no longer serve you.


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In this episode you will learn about:

  • Why Lesley keeps habits while traveling to feel like herself.
  • Using travel as feedback to clarify which habits truly matter most.
  • Why travel habits must support you and never become a control system.
  • How Lesley scales routines down instead of quitting them entirely.
  • Planning trips around habits to make returning home routines easier.


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Episode Transcript:

Lesley Logan 0:00  

You can't be too rigid, but you do have to be aware if there are certain things that allow you to feel like you they must come and be part of a trip, have to, and if not, you got to find something that can be something part of your trip that helps you. 


Lesley Logan 0:16  

Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. 


Lesley Logan 0:54  

All right, Be It babe. So in our Habits Series, I thought it would be really important to have a couple bonuses. And if there's topics that you want me, want me to cover about habits that I haven't yet, please send it in to the beitpod.com/questions we would love to hear. So I'm going to do a bonus on habits for when you're traveling, and then also another bonus episode on like habits that are more like health and movement related. If you are new to this podcast, hello. I'm the host of Be It Till You See It. And this is the bonus of a series. So I do want you to go back to the beginning of the series. That way you can see here Amy Ledin and I talk about habits. There's a recap episode with Brad and I on habits. And then there are truly six episodes that have to do with, like, actual creation of habits. So this is, this is more of a bonus, like, once you know how to create habits, then this will be helpful. Obviously, you can totally start here, because it's your life. Do what you want. 


Lesley Logan 1:54  

So I travel a lot, and I am someone who, when I crave a little bit of certainty, we all do. Do you know, we, there are six needs and one of them, we all have a certainty. We also crave uncertainty. So that's super cool, but so I love to travel, but I also love my routines. My routines are just habits that I have created over time that helped me show up for me. In the last episode, I talked about how, like my morning habits and my night habits are the reason why I can show up for work. I cannot sit down at this computer. I'm not a computer person. I don't know how I end up creating a job where I'm at a computer all the time, but I am at the computer all the time, and it means that if I'm going to sit here and look at a screen all day, that I actually need to do things that help me feel like I have the energy, the clarity, the ability to lead and see things through a vision of what I want, of be it till I see it mindset I have to have. I start to have habits that help me with that, right? So that means, but when I travel, then what do I do? Do I just stop all of them? No, because I'm someone whose body craves, whose mind craves the routines that I've created for myself while I'm on the road. Otherwise, yes, there's absolutely vacations and reasons to take vacations from your whole life, but I promise you, have you ever been on a vacation? It's longer than a couple days, and you start to like, not feel anxious that you want to go home, but just like there's a few things you need that would make this even better. So for me, there are certain habits that I really do research to see if they're possible while I travel. So in order to share that with you, I will say like, I, there are, obviously I can't do all of my habits when I travel, but I do have an awareness of which habits do make the most, like, they've had the most effect on my life, and so that takes some time, and curiosity. Also, when you travel not doing some of your habits, allows you to realize which ones you miss. So something I will share with you is you're gonna get it wrong. You're, the trips you're gonna take, after listening to this, some of them will have the habits you want, and some of them won't. And you'll realize that some will have ones you're like, I actually could have not done that that caused more stress than it was worth. So always, always, always reflecting, refining and continuing on after each trip to help you make the next trip better. It's going to be really important. It's also really important to recognize, like, these are habits, but they're not a control system. So if ever any of these things are feeling like they're controlling you and your vacation, it's probably worth exploring what's going on, what's behind that. That's not something I'm an expert, expert in, but I have worked with many clients, so I do love to work out when I travel. It does make me feel better. I'll share more of that in a moment. But I've had clients that, when they travel, that not being able to work out as much as they normally do and have control over their food has gotten to an unhealthy level where it's no longer serving them. And so I would just one of the best things you can ask yourself, like, is this serving me? I made an episode with Anthony Benenati. I talked about, there's no such thing as something that's good or bad when it comes to the things you do for your life, it's just like, is it serving you or not serving you? And so I would definitely explore that with your vacations, and that requires some self awareness and some time reflecting on who you are and how you are being on your trip. But I think it's worth it. I think it's worth it. Otherwise you're just like, mindlessly going through life, and that's boring. And that's boring, and you're not gonna be it till you see it anything that way. So all right, here's the deal. If I'm traveling by plane versus traveling by car, it makes a big difference. So if I'm traveling like I'm driving, obviously I can bring more things. So when I can bring more things, I actually do keep some of a lot of my habits, I'll start with my nighttime habits for first. Often I do a red light routine, either on my face and neck, or I have a body mat that I do. I love to read at night. Those are really important things to me. I do love a little lymphatic drainage tool that I have, and depending on the night, I might even wash my hair, right? So if I'm driving, I can actually bring all those things so I can keep all my evening habits. I also play certain music before I fall asleep. If you want a really great book about like sleeping, there's by Arianna Huffington, I think it's just called Sleep. And she talks about the importance of a sleep routine. A sleep routine is just habits that you've created that help you, but it lets my brain know that, like I'm getting ready for sleep, right? I also, at night, before I go to bed, lay out the clothes for the next day's movement so they're already out, especially if I'm in a hotel or I'm in the van on tour, Brad is asleep, so I don't want any lights to wake him up too early, so I pull those clothes out. So it's so much easier for me. At home, believe it or not, I pull those clothes out because I do my morning routine starts in our extra bathroom, so I just put them out in that extra bathroom. So I can do all of my nighttime routines if I'm traveling by car. my morning routines, if I'm traveling by car, depending on the weather, I can do a lot of my morning routines. I can go for a morning walk, right? If I have got the dog, it's, it's a requirement. I can often go to a gym, especially when we're on tour, we're usually sleeping in a parking lot that belongs to a gym. So I can do that. 


Lesley Logan 7:15  

I can get in, well, it won't be equipment Pilates. I can get in a mat Pilates session there. I won't be able to do like my shake plate or my cold plunge. The cold plunge is something that I do let go of on a retreat. I'm not driving around trying to find a place that's got a cold plunge. It's just that's just something that has to go and you'll but maybe not for you, maybe for you, you're staying at a hotel, you get ice buckets, you put them in the tub, and you have an ice bath like there are always ways to get around to different habits you want to have, but typically, especially if I'm on tour or I'm in a hotel, I'm just like, I'm not that's just something I'm gonna let go. It does mean I don't start the morning off with a giant rush, but there it is. I also, when I travel, if I travel by car, I'll bring my morning books that you've heard me talk about as part of my morning routine. If I'm traveling by plane, depending on how much space I have, I will bring one book. If I can't bring one book, then I take a picture of one book's daily messages, and I'll open up the photo on that day and read it. So I have a book like Journey To The Heart, and I have a couple others, like the Your Big Leap Year, and then this other one, and I like to read one entry of each of those in the morning. Sometimes they are saying the exact same thing, and I feel like it's like a wonderful Tarot reading. But when I travel, I just only do one. And I share this with you because we it's important that you know that you can actually titrate these habits when you travel, so you're not being so strict with yourself. So if I normally read three of them at home when I'm traveling, because, you know, everything just takes a little bit longer when you travel, like it takes longer to get that coffee, it takes longer to go find the food, so you don't have as much extra time. I'll just read one entry, and I'll have a picture of it if I don't have the space. So I will my workouts won't always be as long when I'm on the road than when they are at home, because, again, I don't have access to everything that I have. So what I if you one of the things I want to highlight, if you're listening to like this, who's like Lesley, I don't really care about your routine. The number of minutes I dedicate to part of my routine will change, oftenthey're less, but I still get to keep the habit and routine, which helps me feel like myself. And so when you're when you're traveling, whether it's by car or plane, I would just like, map out, like, okay, do, what, which of the which of my habits do I think serve me the most, and how possible are those? Some other things that I'm really intentional about when I travel is, like, the hotel we choose. Does it have a gym? If it doesn't have a gym, is there another hotel that's in the same range of price that we're looking at that has a gym? Do any of these hotels have relationships with a gym? Can Is there a gym nearby that I can pay a drop in fee to. So that is something when I'm planning trips that I'm very conscious of, not because I'm someone who's obsessed with working out, because I'm someone who's obsessed with how I feel after I've moved my body, right? I'm very intentional. I don't take a lot of Pilates classes because I personally like to do self-led workouts, even if there's a teacher watching. I just I prefer that for myself and my practice right now. So I'm not looking at Pilates studios. But you might, right? You might be like, oh my goodness, like, I love going to class. Then definitely pick a hotel that's near a studio, right? These are things it's okay to be like you know what I need in the morning? I need a really great cashew milk latte and a yoga class. Great. Look for cashew milk lattes in an area. Then look for if there's a yoga studio nearby, and then look for the hotel that's near that. Done. So I'm really intentional about when I plan a trip. I don't try to fit my routines into the trip. I actually plan the trip around my routines, and that's part of being it till you see it. That's also how you can maintain a lot of your habits while you're gone. Then here's the cool thing, when you come back, because you kept several of the habits, the routines you have, those things are often prompts for things you didn't do while you're gone, but it's still in your brain. Oh, after I work out, I get on my shake plate, or I stretch over here, I get in for my red light. It will all come back because, one, your mindset around it is positive, and two, you're bringing the prompt back in. If you are like, oh my gosh, I came back from a trip last time, it was really hard for me to get back to one of my habits, then I would love for you to go back to this whole series. One, let's make sure it's a habit you want to have. Two, is it at the time that you want to do? And three, is the prompt clear. You might have to actually kind of start that one back over. Maybe it needs some more celebration around it, till it sticks a little heavier. You know, I've been honest, like I'm starting a new habit, a new hobby, I should say, a new hobby. And hobbies are also habits, or just things that we decide to do, and something that I've been because of my travel schedule, I've been trying to figure out is, like, when is the best time for me to do this habit? When I'm at home, I can do it at night when I'm on the road. Can I still do it at night? Oh gosh, we have dinner with people every single night. Okay, that's a little harder to do. So should I be doing it when I have lunch? You know? Should I be doing it when I pull my computer out? So I am still trying to figure out that when this hobby can be done when I'm at home, this hobby is a little easier for me to put in the night routine. Like after I get home from the gym, I can work on this little hobby that I have I really like. It's quite easy for me to add into the day. Just when I travel, I find I'm having a little bit of trouble with it. I could also not do it when I travel and have, totally fine. Is it serving me? Is it distracting from my trip? Is it making my day too full? You know, these are things we have to understand. So when you travel, and you will travel, it's really important that you are aware, and this is going to come from self-reflection. Which parts of your day help you feel the most filled up? What are the some of the if you I'm not, I'm not gonna, if you have a specific type of tea that if you have it every morning, you just have the best day. And when you don't have it, you have a shit day, then you have, you owe it to yourself to figure out how do I have this best tea and then maybe while you're on a trip, you start something new. So I had on my retreat, one of the girls on my retreat, she was going to this cute little coffee shop every single morning, and she was doing her journaling. And then one day it was closed, and she was like, oh, it's not there. Okay, I guess I'll go to this other place to do it. And instead, she took the best parts of the of the place that she was going to, and she created it on our patio. And it's and the coolest thing about that, you guys, is she can do that at home. And she's like, oh, I could just do this at the house. It's like, yeah. So sometimes when you're on a trip, you discover something that you're like, if I could have this in my life every single day. And so that's why it's important, like, some of my habits don't come with me, because it opens up space for me to explore things that are lighting me up or allows me to go, wow, I really miss that thing. So then I'm really intentional when I'm at home to never miss it, and then maybe I have to consider bringing it along for the ride on the next trip. I hope this is making sense. I hope that you're understanding like it can't be too rigid, but you do have to be aware you are if there are certain things that allow you to feel like you they must come and be part of a trip, have to and if not, you got to find something that can be something part of your trip that helps you. You know, I get on planes all the time, and I see people pull out all these little tools, like people do the face mask. I don't understand that. That's something that doesn't work for me. That's not something that I care about on a plane. But I can tell you that I have set up on a plane. It's my sleep music so I can fall asleep on a plane, because I have a hard time doing that. I absolutely have compression socks, because that helps me feel good, you know? So everything we do is a habit. It's also a choice that is helping us either get close to the person we're trying to be it until we see or further away from it. So we got to have, like, a healthy balance, a healthy push and pull of what are the things that I need to take with me on a trip. What are the things I'm gonna leave behind, and then how did, how do I feel on that trip? You know, a lot of us are lucky enough that if, while we're traveling, we go, oh my God, I can't believe I left that thing at home. I need it. In most cases, we can buy it. You know, there are places you can't get it, but in a lot of places, you could probably buy the thing that would make you feel like you. 


Lesley Logan 15:21  

So I'm going to wrap this up with when's your next trip between now and then, can you get some reflection around what, some clarity I should say, around what habit you want to take on that trip? And then can you do the research to see if it's possible, right? And then, when you're on that trip, every single day, at the end of the day, I want you to reflect, How'd that feel? How'd it go? Oh, actually, I thought I could do this, and that actually didn't happen. So instead of it being a half an hour, I'm gonna do 15 minutes. Instead of 15 minutes, I'm do five. Oh, actually, I brought those running shoes. Didn't run one single time. And you know what? I realized, I love running at home, but I don't like running on a trip. Okay, great. Now, you know. It's really you don't have to get this right. And in fact, getting it right is not how habits start in the first place. They start, they are created. They stick based on how they make you feel. And they have to make you feel good, because if they make you feel bad, your brain is going to avoid doing them. All right, loves, again, send your wins in. Send in the topics that you're wanting to hear, how we can help you with your habits, with that to beitpod.com/questions. And until next time, Be It Till You See It.


Lesley Logan 16:29  

That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.


Brad Crowell 17:12  

It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.


Lesley Logan 17:16  

It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.


Brad Crowell 17:21  

Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.


Lesley Logan 17:28  

Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.


Brad Crowell 17:31  

Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.



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