Traveling and taking to the open road has always been romanticized and considered to be the “it” thing to do if you want to go on an adventure. And that’s all true. You can have the adventure of a lifetime driving the roads that connect your country together. It’s amazing. You’ll experience views that will stay in your mind forever, and experiences of a lifetime. But there are also several lessons that can be learned from the road. And I’m talking a lot deeper than “make sure you get an oil change before you go,” ….although trust me, that’s super important. I’ve got 3 lessons below that draw some pretty distinct parallels to life and business.
Always Be Prepared
Sometimes there will be roadblocks that delay you from reaching your goal or getting to a particular milestone. For example, last week National Park closures added 3+ more hours to my day drive between one overnight spot to the next. It was brutal. At the moment I found out, I actually wasn’t terribly upset, and that may have been because the reality of what the reroute meant hadn’t set in yet. And even as I drove for waaaaay longer than I really wanted to that day, the anger never really came upon me. There was slight frustration of course, but the reality is that I needed to think quickly on my feet and work on plan B. When it comes to something you’re working on in your business or in your life, sometimes you’ll hit road blocks.
Spend less time focused on the frustration around Plan A not working, and more energy regrouping and gearing up to dive into plan B.
Be Okay With Extending Your Deadlines
This goes especially for those of us who make personal deadlines to achieve a certain milestone or get things done. It’s important to have goals and milestones and to allot time to them. This is what helps us to eventually achieve those tasks, and gives us something tangible to be held accountable to. But when things aren’t going as planned, staying tied to them may prevent you from recognizing another opportunity or gem of knowledge when it’s right in front of you.
Loosen your grip and also enjoy the journey. There are great teachers and lessons all around you. A loosened grip on the deadlines you set for yourself, when the situation allows, can allow for things to naturally unfold and the best experiences to take place.
Stop and Enjoy the Ride
When someone tells me they are planning a road trip and want my advice, I always say the scenic route may be longer, but it’s worth it. The same can be said for life. Don’t always have your petal to the metal so much that you don’t see all the great scenes you’re driving through. I was always okay with stopping at vista points, overlooks, small hikes, and anything else that peeked my interest while on the road.
You work really hard at what you do, and you deserve to enjoy the ride that comes with that. Take time for yourself to just be, and to enjoy life unfold before you. The more present you become in each moment, the more appreciation you’ll have for what’s happening around you, and the more aware you’ll be of the opportunities right in front of you.
Jess Watson is the CEO & Creative Director of Points North Studio. She's the co-organizer of Baltimore Womxn in Tech, a big believer in Baltimore city, and a pioneer of working remotely while traveling the globe.
