Happy Memorial Day! I’m wishing you a fun and safe long weekend. If you’re in the Northeast, I hope you’ve been enjoying the beautiful weather we’ve been experiencing.
Have you ever ended up in a place that wasn’t your original destination? Last Sunday, my husband, Hank, and I decided to visit a state park in New Jersey. We packed a picnic lunch, grabbed our cameras and off we went. We had a general idea of where we were going, but we decided to be adventurous and not use a map or GPS. However, we became so engrossed in conversation while we were driving that we completely missed our exit and ended up in New York!
Once we got our bearings, we made our way back into New Jersey and to High Point State Park—not our original destination. This park is the highest point in the state, where on a clear day there is a panoramic view of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. It was beautiful and we enjoyed the detour.
Days like this—with just an idea and no real plan—can be fun and adventurous. Had we been serious about our destination, we would’ve mapped out the route, used Google Maps or Waze.
Sometimes our lives take detours because we don’t have a plan. Sometimes they can take detours even when we do make plans because we can’t control every person or circumstance in our lives. Life is certainly an adventure and a journey to be explored and enjoyed. However, if we want to achieve something or reach a goal, then we need a plan so that we can track our progress. If we don’t plan our trips to some degree, then we might end up in a different place than we intended.
Have you ever started out with an idea or a goal in mind, but with no plans on how you would reach it? What happened? Did you end up in a completely different place? Was that place better, worse or just different? Did you get discouraged or give up?
There have certainly been times in my life where I’ve had a dream or a goal, but never planned for it, so I never accomplished it. All I did was think and talk about it, but thinking and planning are totally different. Whether it’s a small goal or a large one, plans give us direction and can keep us on course.
Maybe there are some areas in life where you’re just going for a ride without any particular destination, and detours and adventures are okay and even sought. But maybe there are other areas in your life where you have a specific destination you’d like to reach. How will you plan for the journey? How will you map it out and track your progress? How will you hold it and yourself accountable? When do you want to arrive? Next week, next month, next year?
Here are some tips:
- Identify your goal or destination. Why do you want to achieve this goal? Is this something you want to do, or is someone else suggesting it for you? Write it out to get clarity.
- What are the benefits of achieving your goal and arriving at your destination? Will it benefit you, your family, your community? Knowing the benefits will give you more clarity.
- What skills do you need to accomplish your goal? Do you need help navigating? Do you need to go back to school or hire a coach?
- Create an action plan. What obstacles or detours might you encounter and need to overcome? Try to identify them so you are equipped for the journey.
- Create a timeline. How much progress do you want to achieve in one month, three month, or six months?
- Start small. Divide the journey to your goal into smaller milestones along the way. Each time you reach a milestone, CELEBRATE! This will encourage you to keep going and build your self-confidence.
- Ask someone to be your accountability partner, a person who can help you when you get stuck or off-track.
- Take baby steps each day.
- Be patient with yourself.
- Enjoy the journey and the possible detours.
- Most importantly, start the journey.
I Really enjoyed your blog.I have been running and not stopping to pray read My self care has been so so bad. So today I looked back at what I’ve missed and I am so greatful. Thank you for sharing this. I enjoyed it so much. Im starting over I have reached out and got a life coach someone who is in recovery and can help me. So a new chapter begins for me and Im going to share this with Morgan because I found it so helpful and your tips are perfect. I am so so glad I opend this up today A Day that has been all about me and doing for myself what im Always doing for other. I have been blessed by you in so many ways Thank You so so so so much. Lord I thank you for Evemarie.
Thank you. Your kind words are encouragement to me.
So happy to hear about your new chapter in life. Enjoy the journal.
I am available to help you on your journey.
Marie, I love the blog…..really has me thinking. Never thought about writing a plan down but I like the idea. Right now I feel like I’m on a super highway and I would really like a detour about now to slow me down. Thanks again for bringing it to my attention, I can now begin to work on it. God bless and I so appreciate your heart! ❤️
Thank you for the encouraging words. I’m happy the blog has you thinking about a plan.
Enjoyed blog regarding “Detours and Destinations”…very much sometimes It seems a journey takes quite a while so I wonder if it’s the attitude and the expectations we have sometimes, in my experience When I was dealing with a major co-infection tickborne illness in grad school, it detoured my graduate work post grad school to further my education in holistic health coaching and transform my thinking and relationship to Wholefoods eating which in a way is related to a dream of being a gourmet chef and health teacher. The health challenge affected my cognitive thinking which made me a certified special educator with more pronounced learning challenges. perhaps this journey has me developing to be a more successful educator however when time, place and interest aligns for potential community students.
My career dream now is to be healthiest possible and connect and converse with community colleagues and learners whom embrace practicing creative ways to learn and utilize Wholefoods cooking with herbs to nourish our bodies mind and spirit.
Thx Coach Marie!
You’re welcome Tanya. Sometimes we have a lot of detours before we arrive to our destination. The secret is to keep going and don’t give up.
Gods plan is so much better than anything I could ever think of. I often rely on that detour to be a better plan.
I agree with you Jane, His plan is always better.
I love when God takes me on a detour . I call them hiccups. When He does this the outcome is so much better and most times I have learned a valuable lesson.
Yes, the lessons we learn on our detours are so valuable.
Thanks for your encouragement, It makes me think about more planning. It also ties in with a bible study I attend with the same theme in mind
I’m happy the blog encouraged you.
Have a great weekend.