Читать книгу Your Goal Guide - Debra Eckerling - Страница 10

Where did you go on your last road trip? And what made that experience so special?

Was everything planned? Or did you jump in the car and go? I’m guessing it was probably a mixture. Even spontaneity—a.k.a. breaks for food and fun—works better when time is carved out for it.

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, so I went on a lot of nearby adventures when I was a kid. These were mostly forays into the city to be a tourist or drives into Michigan to see family. As a teen and young adult, road trips became more of a rite of passage: driving to college, visiting friends, and having mini-adventures.

What is the minimum length of a road trip? Does a two-and-a-half-hour drive count? I figure anywhere you can get to between meals is more transit than road trip. But day trips have their place. Regardless of distance, in a perfect world—and in the goal-setting world—the journey should be as much fun as the destination.

My longest road trip was the one that led me to Los Angeles in my twenties when my mom and I tailgated across the country in two cars. The drive took us ten days and included a variety of joys: we played tourist, made new friends, ate good food. We also had more than our fair share of challenges. For instance, a massive thunderstorm delayed our initial departure, I got a speeding ticket before getting on the first highway, and there was a snowstorm in the panhandle of Texas, which shut down our direct route and took us hundreds of miles out of our way. Plus, each of our cars broke down in a different city—mine in Oklahoma, Mom’s on the highway in Dallas on Christmas Eve; we were stranded for four hours before a cab driver—on his first day of work—stopped to help. And just when we thought we were in the home stretch, we were hit with three hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

We made it to Los Angeles exhausted, but ecstatic. We were ready for our next adventure to begin.

* * *

I have taken plenty of day trips and road trips; I’ve also been on a number of goal trips. As an adult, I worked more than a dozen jobs in two different states and have had too many interests, hobbies, and side projects to count. I’ve maintained relationships and friendships, and dealt with family dynamics and life drama, all while aspiring to find the perfect work-life balance. Many of my friends, clients, and contemporaries have had their own version of this story. What’s yours? And more importantly, what do you want your story to be?

I believe everyone deserves to be happy in some, if not every, part of their lives. We all have responsibilities, and that means working to earn money to support the life you have.

But what about the life you want?

If you are already doing something you love, can you find a way to make it better, more lucrative, more impactful?

If you don’t have a job or career that you love, is it feasible to change paths and find one?

And if switching jobs isn’t an option, can you create something in your life that you enjoy, that gives you hope, that may lead to something bigger and better down the line?

That’s what I am here to help you figure out.

In Part 1, we will plan your road trip. First, we’ll start by setting your sights on something—anything—that will make you happy. This can be an ideal life, an ultimate goal, your GoalTopia. In the next phase, we will do some research to pinpoint exactly where that is and what that means to you. Finally, we will brainstorm, organize, and strategize in order to create a plan—a roadmap—that gets you where you want to go.

In this wonderful age of technology and accessibility, trying new things and shifting careers is easier than ever. Since we have an influx of options, we find ourselves constantly re-evaluating our professional—and personal—situations. However, only some people make changes voluntarily. Many wait until they are forced into action due to circumstance (their job is being eliminated, they’re in an unhealthy work environment, they have to move), choice (they want to start or grow their own business, it’s time for a career change, they want to have better work-life balance), or both (they want and need to increase their income).

Regardless of the motivation behind it, the best way to assure a successful trip is to come up with a roadmap ahead of time to get you to your destination. There will still be joys as well as bumps in the road, but at least you will know where you are going. And in terms of setting goals, that’s the most important part. You can’t get what you want unless you know what you want.

Are you ready to take your next road trip?

Let’s start planning.