Just like any resolution or goal, you can’t just proclaim that you want to travel more this year and forget about it, you need to prioritize your travel goals and create an intentional plan to bring them to life.
There are a ton of strategies out there when it comes to goals and productivity. And I’ve tried quite a few over the years, from good old SMART goals to Desire Mapping my way to my core desired feelings and the list goes on.
What I personally find most effective is a mix of soul and practicality, heart and head, flow and focus. I’ve found a process that has helped me bring more travel and spaciousness into my life, as well as more creativity, love, and personal and professional growth. My method is always evolving, but I thought I’d share what I’m doing this year to help you make your travel dreams happen as well.
1. End-Of-Year Reflections
First, I start the process with reflecting on the past year. To make travel a priority means you need to look at your life from a holistic perspective. Here’s a look at what I’ll ask myself over the next few days.
What do I want to keep doing next year?
What do I want to stop doing next year?
What were my 25 proudest moments of 2017? (Yes, I don’t stop until I have 25 and sometimes I feel like I’m scraping at the bottom of the barrel, but it feels really good to come up with all of them.)
Looking back, what theme emerged in the last year and how can I learn from it?
2. Creating a New Vision
Now that I’ve spent time thinking about the past, it’s time to look ahead. Ultimately, I’m seeking clarity on:
What are my core values?
What are my life goals and dreams for 2018 and do they line up with my core values?
Who do I want to be in the coming year? What kind of person? What will I stand for?
How do I want to feel in each of the following categories and what do I need to do to feel that way?
Health + wellness
Finances
Work + creativity
Love + romance
Friends + family
Spirituality + personal growth
Travel
3. Prioritizing Travel and Setting Intentional Goals
Now that I’ve learned from the past year and clarified who I want to BE and how I want to FEEL in the new year, the action plan for DOING comes to play.
Intention setting
With a grand vision for 2018 in mind, I’ll think about what it will take to head in the direction I want to be heading. What gut checks should I listen for? What boundaries do I need to put in place? What comfort-zones do I need to cross? These aren’t specific goals or achievements, rather intentions to help me align with my true north.
Prioritizing and planning
Looking back at my answers to everything so far, I’ll think about what my top priorities are and how travel plays into the big picture. If travel is a priority, that means other things aren’t…so how will I work toward what truly matters every day while saying no to the commitments, purchases or tasks that don’t support my priorities?
With clear priorities in place, it’s all about breaking down bigger goals into smaller steps and achievable timeframes to prevent overwhelm and hold myself accountable.
First, I’ll think about my big overarching goals and put them on a yearly calendar. Then I’ll add smaller milestones leading up to those goals. Finally, I’ll break those milestones down into actionable, achievable steps to work toward each week.
How about you? What would you love your life to look like by next New Years? How do you want to feel when you reach that point and, even more importantly, how do you want to feel along the way? After all, our days make up our lives and when you enjoy the journey, you eventually end up at the right destination.
What are you looking forward to most this year?
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