So the second portion of getting to your ideal situation via destination postcard after making a plan of action is of course ordering the ticket. Booking your transportation to your grand destination, a.k.a. investing in the method, program, or process that will get you and/or your team to the ideal situation, will require a lot of research and have additional questions answered. From the research and “tourist” planning conducted earlier, there should be a clear-cut, yet general idea of what your team wants to accomplish, what your budget allows, and the time frame you want to accomplish this major task. And in our traveling analogy this would translate to what we want to do on our holiday vacation, how much can we spend on this trip, and when do we want to travel? In my experience for travel or for leading change, these three decisions are not independent of each other.

Obviously, when you go to buy a plane ticket you have a decent amount of options especially depending on how large your timeframe is, (ie. do you have to leave on THIS day or are you flexible with ±3 days from that date?). And it may be cheaper to have multiple stops, (aka checkpoints) rather than a direct flight. These “checkpoints” in the process can also add value to your end goal while you and/or team is on this journey. These stops provide an opportunity to reflect, re-evaluate, reaffirm, and reward the progress made so far. Granted, in our analogy I doubt there are many passengers who are practicing this mental exercise; I’m sure their only thought while waiting in the terminal for their flight is, “are we there yet?”

Fair Warning to Procrastinators AND Go-Getters

Still, it’s important to consider where you imagine your journey may head to with the options provided so you can evaluate what’s best for your team. If your end goal is results-driven, direct flight at the highest price would be the best option. However, if you’re wanting an experience that you’ll remember for a lifetime and that leaves a lasting impression on your soul, a.k.a. create a journey for your time that yields the best solution for your team in the many years to come, spending the time to enjoy yourself, provide the opportunity to grow from the experience, and give yourself reasonable* time to acquire all improvements to your group as you can will, inevitably, be the better long term investment.

So no matter what your ideal destination is, your budget, or your time frame, be flexible with whatever resource you’re using to help facilitate the change, (ie. the transportation company) in order to get to your holiday vacation, (a.k.a. next stage in your business). Once a decision has been made, make sure you have guarantees before signing on the dotted line, which will be discussed in the next blog post.

Tell me about your best and/or your worst holiday planning experience, then have a drink related to the holiday location to either remember or forget that experience J

*I emphasized this portion not only to warn the procrastinator, but to warn the “g-getters.” Like with any change that is meaningful, time needs to be devoted to be able to fully understand, evaluate, and move forward in a positive manner for all parties. However, you started this journey to finish it, (right?) and dragging your feet without purpose doesn’t get you to the change you wish to see in the world.

Photo credit: http://www.israel21c.org/booking-a-flight-online-gets-simplified/