Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Don’t discount power of travel goals

By Shelagh Braley, COO
Are you an urban explorer or a country connoisseur?
I think I’m a little of both, based on my own life list dream trips: I want to immerse myself in the Italian countryside, speaking the language, riding a bicycle to the farmer’s market and cooking to my heart and stomach’s content. I want to enjoy sangria and a restful siesta in Spain, and linger under Tahiti’s Fautaua Waterfall. But I also want to feel the hustle and pulse of the discoteques of Rio and jazz cafes of Costa Rica.
Have you considered your travel goals lately? We all have them. True stat: 100 percent of mylifelist.org members have set at least one travel goal. Most of us have many more.
In order to make them a reality—to experience other cultures and find the place in the world you feel the most renewed—you have to PLAN, not just the details, the flights and accommodations, but the time, too. If you don’t get out of your groove and make time to explore other places a priority, you’ll miss the opportunity for new experiences, to find balance, family time, real joy. There is so much pressure around us, it’s easy to just absorb it and make that our way of life, without releasing the valve and seeking new stimuli, and the restorative peace and fun we need to truly be happy.
If you have a travel goal, do you have a time frame in mind for when you will achieve it? Think about setting a date and working toward it as you would any other measurable goal on your life list. The fun goals are no less crucial to your success than any others.
Don’t let your travel goals languish for “someday.” Or if you have traveled somewhere amazing, share your story on www.mylifelist.org!  You could inspire someone to explore an unrealized travel goal of their own. 
Shelagh Braley, COO of MyLifeList.org, is an experienced entrepreneur and former journalist. She lives in Swampscott, Massachusetts.

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