The No Excuses Project: Travel is essential
June 9, 2010 by Juliet Chase
Filed under No Excuses Project
While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, travel is a critical part of staying creative; not only to bring in new experiences but to see the old with fresh eyes. So when I say travel is essential it’s with that perspective, not just a need for regular vacations.
It’s also perilously vulnerable to excuses – time and money being critical components in disrupting the everyday routine. Goals around travel and seeing foreign cultures are common but achieving them is not. So what am I going to do about it for myself? The goal here is to eliminate excuses, not common sense which means getting creative and persistent in keeping travel as a critical element of a life well lived.
The first part of the solution is simply research, on a regular basis (once a week) how to travel more affordably, ways to get paid to travel, and so on.
The second part is to set aside money and time – a little bit of the first on a regular basis and block out the available vacation way in advance of even figuring out where to go – that way the excuses begin to crumble.
Lastly, is simply making the commitment to take those trips every year, whether they are nearby or across the globe – letting it slide is not one of the options.
Next week: Being more consistent with medical check-ups
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Holding myself accountable
- Garden: thanks to all the rain recently, I’m still on track (without having had to do very much of anything)
- Chores: still working out the kinks but fewer excuses to put things off
- Treasure hunting: no activity but no excuses either
- Losing weight: took the next step in revising the diet, still behind on exercise
- Jewelry: was productive in refining techniques and making new pieces
- Photography: definitely the victim of time and excuses this week and will be working on that
- Family and friends: doing well
- Romantic relationship: making progress
The No Excuses Project: Traveling the world
June 2, 2010 by Juliet Chase
Filed under No Excuses Project
It seems like big trips to new places are one of the most common sinkholes of excuses. You got the idea into your head that it would be fun to see the castles on the Rhine in person and then suddenly it’s ten years later and you still think it would be fun but you haven’t done anything more about it. I know that’s true for me and while I’ve managed some of the trips I’ve wanted to undertake, some others have been hanging on the list a little longer than I would like – who knows what adventures I’ve missed by spending more time with the excuses than planning the trip.
Here are the ones I know I’ve used in this arena:
- I can’t afford it – self-explanatory but it’s still an excuse
- Help will not be available – I’ll have to pay full price AND get stuck in a foreign country
- It’s too big (there’s a lot to plan and coordinate)
- I’m scared
- I have too many other projects
- The timing isn’t right (this will be so much easier next year…)
- I don’t know what to do (where to start, where to go?)
- It will require too much risk (safe is boring but…)
- I don’t have any experience (yes, that is the point but it’s also scary)
- I’ll compromise because I’m not confident enough to fully commit (such as going someplace where I won’t have to face driving on the left…)
That’s quite a list of powerful excuses – but they are standing in the way of fabulous adventures.
Next week: what I’m planning to do about getting more travel in on a regular basis
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Holding Myself Accountable
- Garden: Mother Nature has been conspiring against me lately but I’m on track with my committments
- Photography: Behind this week a little
- Jewelry: Definitely behind and will be the focus of this coming weekend to catch up
- Treasure hunting – the weather did not cooperate so there’s been a slight postponement
- Family and friends – doing ok
- Romance – releasing my inner Frenchness which I’d been misidentifying as flaws
- Chores – making progress, not completely there yet but progress
- Losing weight – getting more exercise and refining the diet this week
