During our travels, we’ve met really brave people, everyday people who took a chance to do something bold.
Not all of them were adventurous by nature, but the one thing these people had in common was that they decided to take the leap into something new and pursue a dream.
That’s not always the norm. People often ask us, “How do I travel while I’m working along with all my other obligations?” In our lives and careers, we sometimes run on autopilot, focusing on our day-to-day lives and pushing our dreams of travel to the back burner.
But please believe this: there are ways to travel and do things you’ve always wanted to, even when it seems like you should be grounded and settled. You can even pursue these travel goals while developing your career!
The first step to do is ask yourself some questions about what type of experience you’re looking for, how it’ll fit into your career and how you can realistically make it happen.
1. Why Is Dreaming About Travel Important To Me?
To make sure you’re on the right trajectory, you have to reflect on and understand your exact goals. Are you seeking adventure? Do you want to break free of your comfort zone? Connect with your roots? Broaden your career? It’s only when you know what you truly want that you can focus on the logistics of getting there.
2. What Can I Learn Or Accomplish?
To dig a little deeper, pick two or three specific goals to determine your travel focus. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn about elephant conservation or have dreamed of climbing a mountain in the Swiss Alps. If you could do anything, what would be your biggest accomplishment?
3. How Will This Experience Make Me A Better Person?
Even if it seems like a leap, think about the skills you will gain and the experiences you will have that might be relevant to your career. This could be as simple as planning better itineraries or learning a unique way to train volunteers. There is always a way to connect experience abroad back to work—no matter what you do.
4. What Has Been Holding Me Back And How Can I Overcome These Barriers?
Be honest about the challenges you’re facing now or may face as you start to seriously pursue this goal.
5. Is There Anyone I Know Who Has Successfully Pursued A Global Travel Goal?
Find people who have made travel happen in their own lives, and set up some time to chat so you can learn from them. Ask for tips for navigating the planning and follow-through stages of your goal.
6. What Can I Learn From Their Setbacks Or Successes?
Your experience might not perfectly parallel those of your colleagues, but in any situation, you should be able to identify a few things you can learn from their experience. Find out what they would do differently if they could do it again, and note it for your own trip.
7. Can I Work Out A Practical Timeline For My Goals?
Do you want to accomplish your travel within the next six months or sometime in the next five years? Do you want to spend a year abroad, or would a three-week trip be enough? You’ll have to take your time frames into consideration to determine how long it will take you to get the resources you need to make your travel goals a reality.
8. How Should I Align My Goals With My Job?
Consider whether you’ll need to take time off from your career or adjust your work schedule to make your travel possible. This will help you determine if you can simply use your PTO or if you’d need to arrange to take a sabbatical—and that, in turn, will determine how much you need to tell co-workers and how you’ll prepare them for your absence.
9. Do I Have The Resources To Reach My Goals?
Once you have closed in on what you want out of a trip and how it will fit into your life, you’ll need to identify the budget, support (both financial and emotional), technology, and research you’ll need to pursue your dream.
10. How Flexible Do I Need To Be?
Build flexibility into your plan in case things don’t go as smoothly as you initially hoped. Determine what parts of your plan you’d be willing to modify or change to make sure you follow through with your goal. For example, would you be willing to spend the extra time and money to extend your trip if it meant you could see a project through to the end? This will help you avoid surprises and stick to your plan as much as possible.
11. How Can I Protect Myself Against A Worst Case Scenario?
It’s OK to consider what could happen. Maybe you’ll get lost in a country abroad, get stuck in an awkward situation when you’re not fluent in the language of that country, or get food poisoning. Those are realistic challenges—but don’t let them hold you back. Think about how you can prepare adequately for potential issues, and then relax. In general, you’ll find that the world is largely a good place with good people, and worst-case scenarios are rare.
12. Should I Share My Goals With The People I Care About?
When you have an idea that’s outside of the box, friends and colleagues may be quick to judge and try discourage you from pursuing the goal. Instead of letting these reactions deter you, use them to help you improve and further develop your plans.
13. Will I Be Able To Return To My Old Life After Everything?
When you come back, how will you return to work or your daily life? You will want to be prepared for reverse culture shock and build in time to adjust.
14. How Can I Share My Experiences When I Get Back?
It can be hard when you return and friends don’t want to hear the details of your adventure, whether they’re too busy to listen or your stories make them realize what they’re missing out on. Discover ways to share your experience while you are on your journey through social media, a blog, or a website. When you get back, you can seek out speaking engagements to share your story, start a charity project based on your experience, or perhaps launch something even bigger, like a new business or nonprofit.
15. I Achieved My Goals. Now What?
After you’ve achieved your goal, you shouldn’t stop there! Consider how this experience will open new doors to opportunities, both at work and in your personal life.
When you ask yourself the right questions, you’ll gain perspective and be able to better frame your travel goals—which will make them much more attainable. You may have to start small, but that’s OK! Because a start, no matter how small, will get you one step closer to getting out in the world. So find your courage, take a chance, and start working toward your dream trip or global goal now. You’ll be glad you did.