The Right Vehicle for Your Road Trip

I know, I know...I’ve been away for awhile! Funny enough, I've been on a few road trips over the last couple of weeks! No, really! First it was a trip to Wisconsin (I don’t suggest visiting in February, unless you like the cold white stuff that falls from the sky!) and then it was on to my annual road trip to Atlanta (wherein I saw more of that white stuff that falls from the sky).

Anyway, I learned a few things on these trips: in order to have fun and stay on track, it is important to have the right tools for the journey. I certainly didn’t pack shorts, flip flops and bathing suits when I was headed to the frozen tundra of Milwaukee, I made sure that I had long pants and a parka (which is something I didn’t even realized I owned). I made the mistake by not taking said parka to Atlanta this year, but it was a lesson learned in that I should be prepared for anything. On the other hand, nothing is a mistake as long as you learn from it, right?

On these two trips, I expected to act like the shark in chummy waters that I mentioned in my last post. But, what I realized about myself, is that while I can let go and have fun, I have also taught myself some good habits along the way and making healthier decisions is based on a feeling of want rather than should (“I want the grilled salmon” instead of “I should have the grilled salmon, but I’d rather have the fried stuff”). Now of course, some decisions were not quite as healthy, but once again, on this program, nothing is off limits! The right tools have helped me make the right decisions.

On the Atlanta leg of my travels, I saw a lot of people who I haven’t seen in a while. And of course, they were all excited for how far I have come on this pilgrimage and I spent a lot of time answering questions and talking about how I’ve been successful. It was while I was having one of these conversations with my friend (I will call her “Crysta”), that I got the inspiration for this post. We were discussing the program and I told her that one of the most important things to do is surround yourself with tools for success. In the road trip of life, you can do everything right, but if you don’t have some sort of vehicle, you aren’t going to get very far! This adventure is no different.

I’ve made no secret as to which vehicle I have chosen to drive, but not everyone shares my taste in transportation, so look around and see what is out there that will help you thrive and be successful in reaching your goal. There are many forms of transportation, and the one that is best is the one at which you succeed. If you try the Ferrari and it doesn’t work, maybe you are a Lamborghini person! Or, maybe you are not a car person at all, maybe your style is more suited to a motorcycle. Just remember that old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” The only time you really fail is when you give up. As long as you are moving forward, even at a snail’s pace, you are making progress.