As you read this, imagine the
journeys you are currently on, whether they are long or serious or
short or fun or easy, or however else you might describe them.
What is your starting point -
your Point A? Describe it
exactly as it is now. (This
could be things like dealing with a performance issue, planting a
raised bed garden, improving the overall quality of your project, or
finding ways to save a certain amount of money by the end of the
year.)
What is your desired end
point/result/goal - your Point Z?
Envision what it will be.
(For the examples above, this could be no performance
problems, successfully growing at least two vegetables you can use in
meals over the summer, a project that gets at least 5 highly positive
customer comments, or using $3000 of your successfully-tweaked budget
savings at year's end to take a little trip or pad your rainy-day
fund.)
What is Your Journey Style?
As you read this section, see
if you can identify your own journey style. The more extreme ends of the
spectrum are described below, although typically there is more of a
balance of styles and approaches in any individual. If you are having trouble on
the journey - feeling stuck, or like you are heading in the wrong
direction - try shifting toward the style on the other end of the
spectrum.
Linear or Serendipitous
If your journey style is too
linear - if you feel like you have blinders on and that the results
are more important than what you experience along the way, then you
may be shortchanging the journey.
Try slowing down, stepping back, and assessing what you have
learned or are learning. Take
stock of what's going on for you at various intervals and see if you
need to make any adjustments.
If your style is too
serendipitous - if you feel that the end is never in sight and that
the journey is taking too long - you may need to learn how to
focus. Keep your awareness of,
and the importance of, the end result in front of you. Imagine what
it will be like to complete this journey, and maybe even what your
next journey will be.
Controlled or Free-Form
If your journey style is too
controlled, you risk missing some important side trips and
learning. And the stress that
comes from trying to keep control can cause end results that are less
than satisfactory. Build some
flexibility or relief into your journey with breaks or other short
intervals from an unrelenting structure. Learn to step back and
breathe.
If your style is too
free-form, the end results may not match what you had identified as
your goal. If this seems to be
happening, take a moment now to stop and actually create some details
and a plan for your journey.
This will help keep you on track for your destination. (And
next time, plan to do this at least a little bit before you start
out!)
Single Journey and Destination Focus
If there is only one specific
journey and destination going on for you, you may risk alienating or
impairing other areas of your life or business. You may find that your journey has
become unpleasant because the focus is overly intense. Consider trying to redirect yourself
to spend some time and energy on things not related to the journey.
Slow the journey down if you need to - whatever it takes to allow you
to enjoy yourself again.
If you find you have multiple
purposes/destinations, and are not clear about what your journey
really is, your travels will be scattered and unfocused and the
results will be - well, who knows?
Take time out now to think about what you want. Where do you want to go? What will it look and feel like
when you get there? Create
some goal-destinations for yourself with this information. If you
wind up with too many goals, identify which journey is more important
for you right now and start on that one!
To Be or Not to Be
Are you being yourself as you
move along toward your destination?
Are you using YOU, your strengths, your skills on this
journey? Are they the right
skills and strengths for where you want to go? Knowing that there is a good match
between the needs of the journey and the strengths and skills you
bring to it allows you to feel that the trip is worthwhile, and to
enjoy it much more. (And if
your skills are not being used on this particular journey, you may
want to plan another where they can be!)
Not being yourself - going on a
journey that is alien or not aligned to who you are - will not be
pleasant, or fun, and the learning and results won't really seem very
worth it. For example, a
person who loves bright colors, hates the outdoors and cold weather,
yet is somehow taking the journey of learning to ski, may not be
doing something that expresses "who they really are" ...!
Alone or Together
If you strike out alone all
the time, you probably often get the same kind of results, take the
same routes, do the same kinds of things, and generally find yourself
with diminishing motivation and sometimes no support when you need
it. If that is the case, then
it may be time to recruit and find other people to join you on your
journey. Another possibility
can be to simply end the current journey and create a new one with
like-minded people who have destinations similar to your own.
If there is too much
"togetherness" on your journey, you may frequently find
yourself arriving at someone else's destination, and you may
never get to the destination you hoped for. It may be that the journey itself
is simply what it's all about for you - which can definitely be OK if
that is what you want. If not
though, it may be time to step back from the togetherness and get
clear about what is important to you.
See if this current journey is working or not as far as you
are concerned. Make adjustments as needed.
Summary
The challenge is to identify
your journey approach and style, what is needed for the journey, what
will help it, what will hurt it, and what you can experiment with to
make it smoother and easier, and to enjoy and appreciate where you
finally arrive.
