Some of these you may already know. Some of these may be new. In any case, it’s always worth remembering each of these steps – especially so when you have a deep yearning to travel and it somehow just seems like its an unrealistic goal.
These steps also apply to so many other things in life outside of travel but I had a little reminder of these during our recent travels and even though some of it might seem intangible, it’ll definitely help to keep this at the forefront and at the back of your mind as you go about trying to achieve your goals.
1.) Dream big: Aiming for something really big is sometimes the best way to focus on what you really want. It’s also the first step to building that passion that will help drive you during those times when your dreams might seem impractical and unrealistic. There’s just no substitute for passion. And remember, even if you fall short of your dreams, you’ll end up achieving so much more than if you just limited yourself.
2.) Set a plan: It always helps to put pen to paper and identify not just the difference between where you are and where you want to be but how to bridge that gap – step by step. Plans help you solidify how you will achieve your dreams. They help translate it from ‘just a great idea’ to something that is actually practical and achievable. Plus, they help keep you on track for your goals.
For instance, if your dream is to go to trekking in South America for 3 months, start to think about how you will find this, what routes to take, how to get there… etc Break each one into further smaller chunks if you need to but essentially, putting pen to paper helps make this dream reality and helps you identify gaps.
3.) Take things one step a time: If you try to do everything all at once, chances are that you will get overwhelmed and probably fail. The best analogy is one of making a meal (e.g. a roast dinner). You can’t do every single bit of it all in one go, you’ve gotta break it into manageable chunks for you to be able to get anything done. Taking things one step at a time keep it realistically achievable for you as you go along your plan.
4.) To keep you motivated, immerse yourself in your goals: Constantly remind yourself why this is important to you – whether that’s looking on Pinterest over and over again at different photos of the places you’d like to visit or surrounding yourself with people that have similar shred goals (e.g. your friends or joining a Facebook group)
5.) Do your research: There’s just no substitute for being fully informed about what you want to do. Some of the information might change the way you approach your goals or even the goals entirely but it’s important to have impartial knowledge about what you want to achieve. Plus, the best people in any subject area are those who combined passion and knowledge to get a competitive advantage over everyone else.
6.) Stay alert and always be on the lookout: The deals and bargains that will help you achieve your goals are not always easy to find or readily available all the time (if they were, they’re probably not worth it) and so you need to always be alert and constantly lookout for these deals and bargains so you’re best placed to snap them up once they appear.
7.) Ignore nay-sayers: You don’t need people around you being negative when you’re trying to achieve something that you want. It will take its toll on your and most time they’re just talking about their own limitations and fears and not yours.
8.) As much as possible, try not to compromise: It might be important to compromise on some things in your plan (e.g. staying in cheaper accommodation or eating out less in your South America trip) but don’t compromise entirely on your dreams. If you plan was to buy yourself a Rolex (for example!) and you get a “Rolox” instead, it’s safe to say you will still wish you had a Rolex and will have done nothing in getting that “Rolox” but setting yourself back on your goals.
9.) Don’t be afraid to ask for help: If someone around you can offer to help, let go of your pride and ask for help. The old saying “No man is an island” by John Donne comes to mind when it comes to this once and it’s okay to achieve your goals through the collective efforts of supportive people around you.
10.) Always be grateful: Gratitude makes everyone involved feel good. You feel good, the person or people who have helped you feel good and everyone leaves whatever interaction it is, feeling positive and more predisposed towards helping you achieve your goals. Gratitude helps build a strong and positive support network around you and you’ll find that you need this network more than ever when you’re trying to achieve your big travel goals.
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