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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Lessons Learned While Traveling

As I shared in the last post, I've had the opportunity to do some traveling over the past 6 months.  I figured that with all of the teleseminars, reading and concepts I'd absorbed that traveling would be a cool gentle breeze.  That I could shift my perspective, adjust to challenges, and overall, be a fairly decent traveler.  Indeed, this was not quite the case. 

Here are some lessons that I learned while traveling:
Social
1.  When traveling, keep in mind the purpose of the trip.  If it's a family gathering, think family time.  For a more sociable trip, think "hanging out with friends" time.  In other words, if you're used to being a solo traveler, like me, shift your expectations for group oriented trips.  Yes, I'm sure this is obvious for most travelers but for some reason, I was maintaining a solo traveler mindset on instead of a group traveler one.
2.  Best to travel with friends and family members that are patient with you in case you haven't quite mastered lesson 1.

Packing
1.  Use a standard list for packing.  Instead of re-writing your packing list, create a basic one for essential travel items. 
2.  Bring clothes that are versatile.  For a 4 day trip, I prefer to pack 2 pants and 4 shirts since people rarely notice if you wear the same pants twice.
3.  Wear something comfortable while traveling. 

Getting There
1.  Booking a flight and hotel at the last minute can feel slightly exhilarating but can also be expensive and stressful for you.
2.  If you're using transit, find out in advance how to go from the airport/train station to your destination.  Google Maps proved to be a handy option for me.
3.  If you're traveling as a group, see if you all can pack your "liquids" into one bag and split the baggage cost.

Being There
1.  Enjoy eating...but at the same time aim to stay on track with your health values.  Every now and then, aim to get some fresh vegetables along with whatever local cuisine you're enjoying.
2.  Doing 15 push ups or sit ups will at least make you feel somewhat on track with fitness.  : )  Make whatever effort you can, to support your health.
3.  Be calm about your purchases.  Does your friend really need a bulky, singing key chain?

When it's over...
1.  If you can, unpack your bags within 2 days of returning.  Seeing your unpacked bags in the corner can be draining and a bit of a nuisance.
2.  Give yourself a chance to rest before you swing back into everyday living.  Sleep in, do some journaling, have "me" time.
3.  Ah, and if a trip doesn't go as planned, see if you can find something positive about the trip.  What did you learn about yourself?  How well do you manage flight delays, lost items, too much rich food?

Have I mastered all of the lessons that I've shared?  Nope, am working on some of these myself.  However, a couple of positives about my experience is that it taught me to be patient with myself and also to appreciate the humor and patience of my friends and family members. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

When A Blogger Goes Offline...

There was a phase about 4 years ago when I became mildly obsessed with fashion blogs.  Reading about other bloggers lives, looking at their various clothing styles and enjoying the music posted  was pretty sweet relief for me from my-then routine life.

However...every now and then I'd come upon a fashion blog without any recent posting or one in which there was a significant gap between posts.  What happened to the blogger's enthusiasm?  Their creativity?  Their group du jour?  I felt disappointed and miffed by the sudden lapse in posting.  Where was their dedication?
And then...the same lapse happened to me!  : )  After joyfully and somewhat less joyfully posting on this blog, I, too, began to slow down my postings  What happened to my enthusiasm?  My creativity?  My tip du jour?  As I mentioned in my last posting "Still On?" I felt more in need of receiving advice than doling it out.  The Tuesday Tip began to feel like a chore.  I felt somewhat certain that I maxed out on my creativity.  I'd posted on fitness, finding more joy, improving your life...what else was left?

So I decided to take a break from "Tuesday's Tip" and gradually that evolved into taking a break from my blog which turned into taking a break from my business and focusing on reducing my own sense of overwhelm. 

All-in-all, it was a wise decision for me to take a rest from business-ing.  My sleeping, exercise and eating habits were erratic.  I had papers which needed to be filed, pending Facebook notifications and a closet in need of decluttering.  Delegation is dandy when you have the staff or willing offspring but when you have only yourself to delegate to then it's not quite as fun.
While the saying, "You gotta live it to coach it" is not necessarily a necessity, it did offer me some comfort while I was going through my growth experience.  I am and I expect I always will be learning more about my behaviors and my habits.  From a traditional business standpoint, it probably wasn't the wisest move to take such a break from my business but definitely for my own personal growth, it was a needed and welcome break!  : )
In the following weeks, I'll post info as to what I've been doing in the last 5 or 6 months.  I expect posting will relate to:  self growth seminars, traveling, health....and more.

Your Turn....
What insights or challenges have you experienced these last 6 months?  What have you learned about yourself as a result of what you experienced?  How can this new knowledge help you now or in the future?


Thanks for reading and hope everyone enjoyed their summer!


Quick update:  I did manage to jog the Bay-to-Breakers back in May.  My legs were a bit sore but I enjoyed the race. Congrats to my brother, his family and all other first-timers for taking part in the Bay-to-Breakers!  Appreciation to my father and sis for being there!