Are you ready?
2019 is fast approaching and it seems like every commercial, article, or Facebook post is about resolutions.
So what is a resolution? My definition: a new habit of behavior. That is it! You can read whole articles but each one boils down to creating a new habit for your life.
How does this relate to travel? I will get to that in a bit, but first…
The 3 Easy steps to achieving your resolution quickly in 2018!
First: Don’t underestimate the time it takes. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get what you want. Timing a success sets one up for disappointment. James Clear in his article “How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed By Science) on his website, www.jamesclear.com comes to the conclusion that, on average, it takes about 2 months, not the general myth of 3 weeks. But the time doesn’t matter.
What does this mean for succeeding in your resolution? Relax and enjoy the process. The more you relax about your resolution, the more likely it will happen and, thus, the more likely you will have fun. And when you have fun, success comes quickly no matter the length of time. The saying goes, “Time flies when you are having fun!”
Second: Choose only one resolution. In our busy lives, we multitask. The challenge is most of us are not very good at doing projects well when multitasking. We do alright. Alright does not mean success in a new habit or for your resolution. Choose one resolution or goal.
SECRET #1: You can have more than 1 resolution in a year when you do 1 at a time. This gives you success all year and not just at the beginning of the year. You don’t have to wait. Begin a resolution at any time and see your success in the rest of your life as well. It catches on and suddenly you are having the best time creating new resolutions and seeing them out to success!
Third: Get a calendar and a notebook. So you may have a lot of new habits you want. Write them all down. I keep a special book for all the things I want to achieve. When ready to begin a new resolution I choose one. Yes, choosing the easiest one first is ok because this will lead to success which has you begin to understand that all resolutions can be successful.
Once you have your resolution, write down all the things you need to do to achieve this. You may even have to take time to do research on what needs to be done, like painting a fence. Just write down “Search online “how to paint a fence.” Get ready for about 5 million ways to do it! Now you have your list of things to do, then…
Reach for your calendar and put in the times for you to work on your resolution. I generally began with 3-times a week for 1-hour at a time for research. This should suit your life and work, for a friend of mine does her’s 1 time a week for 2 hours. For example, once you have your research done, checking hiking paths, looking up cooking schools, or what paint is the best for outdoors, then you schedule on your calendar when you paint, hike, walk, etc. So you see your time frame for hiking once a week, or walking for 40 minutes a day, or painting your fence. All have different timelines, but once you have them done or going on a regular basis you have success! Once you have success, select another resolution. You are now on a roll! Keep it going.
Ta Da! Easy! But more importantly the more you achieve, in any part of your life, the happier you are, the more you achieve, and the better your life becomes.
What does this have to do with travel? Traveling and particularly traveling well is a habit!
When you plan ahead everything works out better. You get the flights and accommodation you wish at the best pricing. This is particularly true for locations that have limited availability or are very popular like Sydney, Australia, Otahuna Lodge in New Zealand, or Vahine Island in Taha’a, French Polynesia.
But more importantly, when you plan out your travels a year in advance you not only are excited about your travels for the whole year, but you also are traveling the travel you planned the year before. It is constant excitement, success, and you are always looking forward.
Secret #2: When you are looking forward with excitement and anticipation your life gets better.
This is life. It doesn’t matter what your situation, location, or abilities.
Go ahead and choose a resolution and make 2019 a year full of resolutions! Don’t forget to travel!
Namaste’ Kleon
