What’s the Motivation?
There are inhabitants of this planet who arise daily with a plan. They adhere rigidly to said plan and never, ever, deviate from the course they plotted. Any outside happenstance that derails the plan tends to throw planners into a complete tailspin often to the point that no semblance of the plan can be recovered.
Then there are others who have a general plan or basic objective, but no itinerary per se. Maybe a destination, but nothing to suggest how they will get there, what if anything they will do along the way, or when they arrive. Basically, it is a date and a destination and the rest is just play it by ear.
Still, others just start. There may be a general direction, but that will about do it. If something interesting crops up, they stop. If they meet someone along the way who offers a suggestion, then they are on it. Without thought or question, they just roll.
Considering the different approaches, I can legitimately say that from time to time, I have fallen into all of the categories. Often it depends upon other participants who may have modifying factors that may dictate the plan.
Of course, I’m thinking mostly of motorcycle rides, but past family or group vacations or get-togethers come to mind as well. One of the most enjoyable motorcycle rides began with only a direction at first. Then along the way, I came across a road sign and I thought that I remembered seeing it while studying maps. Without hesitation, I merged onto the road and we were rewarded with a very nice day of riding, and what’s more, it led to other similar rides from that point.
On a recent Saturday morning, I had a plan to a destination that was about 120 miles, give or take, from home. That was it. I had no other plans. Within the first couple of miles from home, I began to think of a similar ride I made about a year ago in which road construction caused me some headaches, so I began thinking of a way to bypass the area. I had a general idea of what I wanted to accomplish, but while on the fly, I had no opportunity to verify the best route. Working from memory, I made a left about 30 miles from home when I should have stayed straight for another 45 – 50 miles and then make a left. Miles and miles passed, and I began to realize that I was heading more in a Southwestward direction instead of the northwestward direction that I would need to make it to the initially planned destination. Of course, by the time I made the realization, I knew that a change in destination would be the most probable choice.
We took a rest stop and I informed my wife of my mistake and laid out the options as I saw them. There were three potential destinations. The first was to continue on to the originally planned stop, but we quickly ruled that idea out due to the fact that we were almost exactly the same distance away as we were when we left home. The second would have been a repeat of some previous rides. We opted for the third choice, which was to turn south and check out Natchez. Natchez did not disappoint, in fact, there is another trip planned for the near future.
Sometimes, I’ve found that it is the same in life. Some of the best times occur when events just evolve and before you know it, people are talking about “that time that …..” Then try to recreate that time by planning a repeat, and the vibe just isn’t there or the dynamic just isn’t the same. Maybe it is just the spontaneity of it all.
We’ve been to Disney World a couple of times and I would guess that no one does Disney like the DBeazy family. On both occasions, we’ve had no plan, no itinerary at all, and I’m certain that we probably missed out on many of the attractions there. I know that today with technology the way it is, you can use cell phones and apps to get Fast Pass tickets and better work your way through the resorts, but that just required DBeazy to have to plan too much. But we did Disney our way and we made our memories and I just can’t see anything wrong with that. I’m sure that we’ve aggravated others when we vacationed with them, but old DBeazy just isn’t a “punch-the-clock” kind of guy when he ain’t on the clock, never has been, and never will be.
I’ll end by saying that there is nothing wrong with having a plan as you walk through this life, in fact, I recommend it. Looking back in examination of my life, I’ve found the most success when I had very specific written goals. However, the entire time a part of me felt some acquiescence to a regimented life that I had vowed early on to avoid. I’m just saying that there is no right or wrong. If you loosely plan your goals, it is ok. Just realize that conventional thought demands that you have a goal, a plan to meet the goal, and checkpoints along the way. If you, like DBeazy, scoff at convention, there is a premium to pay, there always will be. But to live it on your own terms, well, good, bad, or indifferent, you’ll find freedom there.