Reflecting on your goals and the progress (or lack of it) you have made. For me is one of the most important tasks you can achieve when attempting to design and create your own life.
Arrogance vs Humility
I find there is importance in keeping humility, when moving towards a long-term goal. Remembering what has gone before, allows a person to remain humble in their task, rather than resorting to living life in an arrogance stance-which I know can come from the acquisition of new knowledge. I’ve done it myself.
Adaptability
Reflecting on your goals, increases awareness, about how adaptable you are having to be. For example. My long-term goal is to own a tent village in New Zealand. I’ve jumped and attempted to reach that goal prematurely, previously and learnt that I am overly ambitious. This is not to be judged but assessed and learnt from.
Writing – which I thoroughly enjoy, is a solitary task and another way in which I am attempting to become location independent, to assist me in achieving my long time goal. Studying and reading other blogger sites, is at times making me realise that living in Asia seems to be a good option, when you want to save money and work this way but that is more suited to being single – not having brought up a family within community. My daughter Chloe is going to be in Thailand soon, training as a Dive Master and staying on the little island of Koh Tao. I think it works out about £100 a month to put a roof over her head. it costs us here in the UK, over £1000. So I need to be adaptable with my thinking and how I earn a living and provide for both myself and a family in the meantime. Being a Parent doesn’t end when your kids are 18 – only in the eyes of a disconnected, societal perspective.
Be Your Own Business Plan
It’s like I am a walking, breathing business plan. I’ve needed to realise this. The physical business plan for the tentvillage I could write very easily. As I could with our Street food business. It tripped off my tongue. This comes from a deeper place and is not so easily accessed, which is why I find it helpful to write down my goals, reflect on them, assess my progress and adjust to what is needed.
My personal goal is to Travel – Write – Relax. This I hope, will then enable me to Inform – Educate – Inspire the reader. This is what I attempt to do with my blog. Freedom and happiness are my two main goals in life and this involves looking at my life and working out the best way in which to move forward. How this comes about, may not necessarily be in the traditional way of entering the realm of becoming a travel writer. Which brings me succinctly to my next point.
Embrace your vulnerability
Consistently putting yourself out there, is what it’s all about. I’ve made new friends online and I have shown them me-each time I do that I feel vulnerable. I reach out to new sources and old ones. Putting out there what I am doing, offering up my work and awaiting their response. I have learnt the importance of connections – communications and approaching people and having a conversation with them. Whatever the result. This is so important. For me rejection is cool. I can learn from it. it is the complete lack of acknowledgement and the disappearance, like Alice down a rabbit hole, which is my undoing. How can I grow – learn and evolve without that communication. In our world, in which we are now more easily than ever able to stay connected and respond quickly. I feel at times the most abandoned. So now you know my vulnerability-will you try to use it for your own purposes? This is why it is vulnerable to share our words, life and experiences. The fear of what another will choose to do with that information.
What are your thoughts on putting yourself out there?
Creation Vs Evolution
One of the struggles, which I am aware of on a daily basis, is my desire to create and evolve. Not separately but both at the same time. Trusting myself as an organism – is very interesting and in the words of Spock – Benjamin and not the one from Star Trek:
I like to think that life is too short to sit at home all day writing, every day. Life is to be lived and that involves getting outside the house, meeting new people and trying new experiences. Providing me with new content to write about and share. Circumstance at times dictates what I am able or unable to physically do, which can make things difficult at times. There are occasions when I am prone to wallowing in the emotional discord of such an activity (though not normally for long.) Reflecting on that has put me in touch with the dissonance of alcoholism in my genetic family and wondering about its long-term effects. Even if not present in my life. You see – examining life – your own and the way of the world-gets you wondering. It stimulates the senses. It’s all about finding the wonder and awe in everyday living. It’s all there in the detail folks.
Recently I visited Kent (a visit to a 17th Century Oast House B+B, will soon be posted on this site) and in doing so, what reared up from within, was the desire to travel the west coast of Australia.
My very own Camp, Dive, Drive. (I’ve mentioned this before, I know. No doubt I will mention it again.)
Each time I travel away from my home town – it is like a part of me (now) screams loudly within-when the resulting plane ride, car journey or train trip does not end on the far side of the world. My voice is getting louder. Saying to me – “are you listening.” So I have learnt to adapt, to deal with where I need to be for the forseeable future. In an attempt to enable me to remain steady here – whilst working towards visiting there. I’ve realised that creation and evolution must happen side by side at this stage in my life.
Delving into the depths of my emotional world is also a necessity, so that I don’t drown in the shallows-where I presently reside. I love to be deep and intense. Smokey, flavoursome and full of colour.
How Does This All Come into Being?
Is of course the next question. Planning, research and working out the finer detail to enable me to do this/to fund this. Working out MyTravelMap may be helpful. The internet is a wonderful tool to assist me in my planning. To enable me to keep writing, putting out there and waiting to see what comes in return, ,as I experience what I want in my life.
Falling at the First Hurdle
I don’t know about you – but this is the greatest stumbling block for me. The first hurdle!
What more is there to say about it really. It is probably the most difficult one to get around. All the plans are in your head and then as you attempt to diligently and respectfully move towards creating the life of your dreams. Irony steps in – side swipes you and all you hear is Alanis Morrissette singing sweetly her words of the same song, in your ears. Leaving you with nothing more than a wry smile…
So this is where I think it is important to remember a few things.
‘Whilst living in the present, it is important to be mindful of the past, as you look to the future.’
Do you remember to take the time to reflect on your goals?
As always,
I’d love to know your thoughts…
Travel with the Strings 