Normally, I don’t have a problem zonkin’ out at the end of the day and keep my routine intact as often as possible. Sleep experts claim that radical schedules, like the one my dad kept when I was a kid (shift work – it changed every two weeks from swing shift, to day shift to “graveyard” shift and it’ll mess you up bad – I did it one summer and could never quite figure out if I was coming or going), will harm your body in ways you can’t see, but can feel for sure.

When I travel, sleeping that first night is almost always an issue.

I did a couple of things different yesterday:

1.) limited my eating while in the airport and on the plane. I drank water at every chance. No beer or wine.

2.) When I did eat, it was a salad with hot, cooked chicken in a high-volume restaurant. I figured if any salad would be “fresh,” it’d be there.

3.) As I wound down 3 time zones later in my hotel, I kept the TV off, read for 15 minutes, then, turned the heat down, and started counting backwards from 100. This to me, sealed the deal.

I only recall getting to the mid-30s and having to start over again somewhere. I never did make it to 20!

My 5 hours of sleep will do the trick. I’ll re-coup it on the plane on my way back, tonight.

One other bit of info I’ll give you from my friend and Internet Zen Master, Matt Furey: Matt travels back and forth to China. MANY times zones away from his home in Florida. Matt’s a zen guy. He does a lot of mind focus “stuff.” Some I get, some I don’t. What I get, I use. What I don’t get, I try to figure out because it’s interesting to me. He has some great mind tricks he uses to keep his body and mind in prime shape. Whichever way he’s traveling, he always arrives primed and pumped, ready to tackle his new time zone without any adjustment whatsoever. He views traveling as a “rest period,” if memory serves. Jetlag’s not in his dictionary.

About three weeks ago I was grousing to my wife about how winter was right around the corner and I could feel the rain and gloomy clouds descending on the Willamette Valley. Poor me.

She said, “Jerry, it won’t be here for over a month…you’ve got plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine and the fall weather we usually get…meanwhile, plan some cool project you can work on this winter out in your shop so you’re focused on something other than the weather and a trip to Cabo to cure what ails you.”

Good point. If men would listen to their wives…but that’s another blog post.

That same Sunday afternoon I dropped by my mother-in-law’s house to pick up my two girls and in her garage was her husband Ted. Ted was standing next to a battered old clothes dresser that had seen better days.

I could tell it was on its way out. “Ted, you getting rid of that dresser?”

“Yup. Why, you want it?”

“Yup. Can I load it up now?”

“Sure.”

Just like that, I was in business. That dresser had a place in my “man land.” Not as a storage container for clothes mind you, but something far more important to the modern man…Especially the modern man with three women in the house and a female dog to boot.

What hit me square between the peepers were the words my wife had spoken to me earlier, “…plan some cool project…” You see, that dresser was more than just a dresser. It had a future far more promising than just a glorified clothes basket. Inside that dresser was history and a future as a…BAR back.

Not just any ol’ bar back, but MY bar back. The place behind a cool, old weathered tavern’s bar. The place where bottles stood proud, peanuts were kept and cash registers rang…The spot where, very soon, the northwest’s best microbrews would be stored, in a chilling, ice-cold reefer. It’d become, the centerpiece for Jerry’s “man land.”

So I spent today carefully dismantling my new bar. I removed the drawer faces, some of the frame of my new bar back, and prepped it for Stage 2 of its life.

I’ll post a picture of it sometime. What it looks like isn’t near as important as what it’ll provide for me this winter: a project. An outlet. A place to focus a different type of energy and a place to get “juice” from. Not booze necessarily, although I am sure it’ll host its share, but the kind of juice you get from working on or in something that brings you a certain amount of satisfaction that’s a total and complete distraction from the day-to-day.

The lesson here? Successful people have an outlet – generally it’s one that has no relevance to what they usually occupy their days with. Woodworking and building a 12′x24′ man cave is just what I need this winter to keep me engaged, excited and, out of trouble.

What’s your outlet? Your “other world” where you spend some time.

You should share it with your clients.

If you’re “on” Facebook, this is worth looking at: Group Name: NewDocs.

Dan’s website is here.

Here’s a copy of a recent message that may concern you if you are on Facebook, twitter, myspace, etc.:

In the past few months I have received numerous emails concerning privacy on public social networks. There have been some interesting situations between doctors and patients that have developed on Facebook. This prompted me to write an article regarding being a professional on a public social network. In it you’ll find some interesting stories about dentist and patient interactions. You’ll also read about a new search engine that searches YOUR activity on public social networks like Facebook.
Social networking technology is an amazing platform that allows us to connect, collaborate, and share in ways we never thought possible. Understanding what it means when you are a professional interacting on a public site is paramount to a low risk user experience. Read the updated blog : “Can I Be your friend?” and join the discussion here: http://www.newdocs.com/blog/view/id_216/
Chime in we want to hear from you!
Dan Marut, DMD – Founder – NewDocs

The interesting thing is, NewDocs was perhaps initially designed for, well, New Docs. But, it’s reach is well beyond a newbie trying to seat his first crown or sign his or her first practice lease.

Check it out. Let me know your thoughts on Dan’s comments above. I think he’s onto something and it’s one of the “damning” things, a potential problem waiting to happen, that a closer-linked world brings about.

One thing is for sure: Protect your online reputation. Like they say, your reputation, it’s all you’ve got.

My brother, Capt. Brian Jones, is a hoot (Just ask Drs. Paul Bartle & Larry Litman!) to fish with and yeah, I’m biased, but he’s the best damn fisherman I’ve ever met or claim to have heard of. (Keep in mind, he’s wandering around the boat with an un-attached patela, too; he had surgery on it the day I left – yeah, he’s a tough guy!)

We caught our limits everyday we were out – And yeah, the halibut is delicious!

Check out this video – But be warned, this is ME raw – and, you’ll likely see something or hear something that’ll make you blush – but remember – this is vacation, fun time, and UNWIND time!

And, if you have kids – well, I never claimed this site wasn’t rated M for Mature audiences only.

This is a great example of Personality in Marketing. And, it’s shot in HD!

Adios!

vacation.

Yes, and I know that’s odd, counter-intuitive, strange even.

I’m in the midst of a 7-day fishing trip compliments of my brother’s charter company out of Juneau, AK, Thunder Mountain Anglers (see them at http://www.thundermountainanglers.com)

Anyway, it’s amazing the focus change you can experience on so many levels.

More when I get back.

P.S. have you checked out the last newsletter? Click on NEWSLETTER and go to the latest post – check out the ClearPath Society, too!