Getting the Most Out of Your Next Vacation
I was pleasantly surprised recently when my friend Liana told me about her plans for an upcoming vacation. When I travel, my tendancy is to book the dates and then forget about it until a week or two before the trip. Then, there is the mad dash to get everything ready to go and finish up all my projects at work until that last desperate moment when I leave the office at 11:00 pm to go home and pack. Liana has a much better approach.
Liana is traveling overseas to visit her daughter. She doesn’t get to see her often, so this is a big trip. I found out about her plans on a day when she was heading out to run errands after work. She told me she was going to the store to buy something for her trip. This prompted her to tell me all about the wonderful trip she had planned and she beemed with joy. When I asked why she was so happy she explained her strategy for getting the most pleasure from her trip.
Liana’s strategy was very simple. She planned a small task every day that would prepare her for the trip. Since she was visiting her daughter, she had many things she wanted to bring to her and her friends. So she would go to the store and buy one item from her list everyday and think about how much she would enjoy giving it away when she arrived. Each item provided a chance to reflect on the trip and anticipate it.
By breaking down her preparation into tiny tasks, she wasn’t overwhelmed with getting ready. These little tasks also allowed her the chance to focus on something that made her happy, and also created many opportunities for her to share her vacation plans with others as they asked her about what she was doing each day. She spread out the joy and took time to experience every bit of it.
This was a real reminder of the power of focus. When you focus on things that bring you joy – surprise, you are surrounded by joy!
A side benefit to Liana’s approach is that it surprised me with a moment of joy and inspired me to write about it.
Enjoy the Little Things,
The Go-To Guy
