When traveling for business, your absolute top responsibility is to be in the best possible mindset for your meeting or presentation.

Ready to see how I do it? Buckle your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen… This list is about to depart.

1. Never confuse business travel with tourism. Hardcore business travelers need a different plan of attack. Your success depends upon your ability to arrive on time, in top form, with little room for error. The stakes are higher. You must fascinate your client, or you will fail– and that requires planning and focus. Read on.

2. Your meeting begins from the moment you leave your house. Treat all business travel with respect and care, because it can make or break the result of your meeting. An almost-missed flight can take a toll on your ability to focus and to be your best.

Last year I flew 125,000 domestic miles on Delta. This earned me the coveted Diamond status. They sent me a luggage tag that’s actually metal, and — ouch! — it’s actually sharp. So while it looks cool, it’s rather hazardous.

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3. Decisions create stress, and stress ruins confidence. If you need to be in a confident frame of mind, avoid having to make any decisions that will create any sort of uncertainty in your mind. This can include big decisions (whether or not to hire someone) or small decisions (how to get from hotel to meeting location). Remember: Your job is to keep yourself in the right frame of mind so you can captivate your listeners.

4. Figure out what your body needs to be most productive, and then prioritize that. For me, sleep is precious. I do not do redeye flights under any circumstances. Ever. (Unless I’m traveling internationally, in which case there’s Ambien involved.) This is not a matter of personal preference; it’s simply a fact that my productivity directly links to my sleep. Of course, for you, sleep might not be the “must-have,” but exercise or meditation might be. Find what works for your body, and then give your body what it needs.

5. Find your carry-on formula. Experiment with different ways to carry your bags, to find what requires the least effort for you. Me, I always check my main bag, because it’s a hassle lug a suitcase through the airport and worry about liquid size. Here’s a quick video of my system:

6. You have a finite amount of energy while traveling. Your energy level is like a gas tank. It’s your responsibility to conserve your energy for its best and highest use. Spend it wisely, because once your exhausted, it’s hard to get back into top form. Plan each step of your travel so that you can stress as little as possible about the travel itself, which will conserve your mental energy, your trip’s ultimate goal.

7. During intense travel, the so-called “luxuries” are not luxuries. They are insurance policies. Find services that allow you to shortcut waiting and exhaustion. If you travel seriously for work, you need professional-grade tools. My favorites: Clear Pass (shaving off 15 – 30 minutes wait time in many airports), Starwood Amex (1.25 points earned per dollar spent), and Cinnabon (just because).

8. Assume a 20% failure rate. Flights are cancelled. Taxis don’t show up. GPS is rarely accurate within office parks. Take all this into account. I usually book 2 flights to an event, so that if one is cancelled, I can still make it on time. And on that note… For absolute essentials, carry backups of backups. I travel with 2 power cords (one in my carry-on, one in suitcase). Why? Because if one gets lost or breaks, it kills my work. Put the presentation on a thumb drive, and, upload it to Dropbox or some such. For critical meetings, I’ve been known to fly with 2 laptops.