As a professional speaker, part of my job often requires me to travel and be the away from my soulmate, my amazing wife Rachael. As I travel from airport to airport, I meet many other people who have the same challenge -- how do you stay connected to your soulmate when you're not there? How you show the person at home you still love them when you're not there to greet them when they come home? Here are 10 simple tips to stay connected when you are on the road.
1. Leave them a love note at home. I enjoy leaving my wife little love notes at home to let her know that I'm thinking of her on the road. Sometimes I leave more than one. Leave a message in their car or under their pillow. Leaving a love note at home lets the person know that you are thinking about them even though you're not there. You are not home but your heart is still there.
2. Call when you have a short break. If you are in a meeting and there's a short break, go around the corner with your cell phone and give your loved one a quick call and let them know that you're thinking of them and wanted to say hello. Even if you get their voice mail -- tell them you are thinking of them and just was calling to say "hi." This lets them know that you are thinking of them because you made the time to call. Call to say good morning and good night.
3. Send a short text message. The great thing about current technology is it's not difficult to send a quick text message, and the great thing about being on the road is you can also include a picture of where it is that you are. "Hey look at this great sunset -- I wish you were here with me, I miss you." It is a great way to keep the home fire burning when you aren't there to light it.
4. Pick up little things for them. On a recent trip, I was walking through the airport and I noticed a kiosk selling jewelry and I picked up a small silver bracelet for my wife. She is was touched that I took the time to think of her when I was on the road. Bring home an article from the newspaper you read at the hotel, or a romantic little card from a gift shop.
5. Arrange for a time to call. Even though you're on the road and you may have an incredibly busy schedule, and the person at home may have one as well, arrange for a certain time of the day you can both catch up with how your days went and what's going on in your lives. This would be similar to the same discussion you have at the dinner table the only difference is it's now over the phone.
6. Purchase a headset. This seems like a small suggestion, but when you call your loved one at home having a headset makes it easier for you to have a conversation, because you don't have to hold the phone in your hand and you will be able to hear them much more clearly particularly when you're sitting in airports, and they will be able to hear you.
7. Buy a small web cam. A great way to stay connected on the road is to have a small web cam you can attach to your laptop. This way instead of just talking to your loved one -- you can actually see them. This is like the difference between radio and television -- you feel a greater sense of connection being able to see their lovely face.
8. Send them an email. find a link for something you find funny romantic or beautiful, and send a link to your loved one and say, "I thought you might enjoy this -- it reminded me of us." The little things matter more than you know. As Winnie The Pooh once said, "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
9. Give them your itinerary. Provide your loved one an itinerary for your flights and hotels and even a schedule of when your meetings start and end so that they will know much more about where you are and what you're doing. This will help them feel more connected to you.
10. Jealously guard the important days. My wife and I have a policy -- that we always take a day off on both of our birthdays, in order to celebrate. Open your calendar now and reserve important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries and other family celebrations so you can ensure you will be home for them and not schedule yourself to be on the road. You only get one chance to celebrate those days once they are gone, they never come back.
Make every effort you can to stay connected on the road. As Isaac Fowler once said, "The little things are feathers in the wings on which love flies." Trust me, it will make a big difference in your relationship with your soulmate, and in your motivation, because they will feel so loved and so will you.