2020 is almost upon us and now seems as good a time as any to set goals for the new year. Traveling to a bucket list destination is a goal that often ends up on many New Year’s resolution lists. Sometimes these goals can seem unattainable or too far out of reach. But with a little planning and maybe a slight shift in mindset, you can turn these goals into a concrete reality.
Get in touch with your why
Traveling is more than an expensive way to jazz up your Instagram feed. Something happens when we travel, something deep and transformative. Whether it’s stronger bonds with those we love, creating lifelong memories, or having a more developed sense of self, travel adds meaning to our lives. The type of meaning it adds is different for everyone. Figure out what that meaning is for you and let it guide you through this process.
Utilize a payment plan
Honestly, most of our travel goals are attainable. We just have to be willing to plan for them well in advance.
Let’s say you want to go on an all-inclusive vacation to Mexico for 5 nights. You’ve reached out to your favorite travel agent and she’s presented a proposal with a total cost of $2,000. You say, “Great! Book it.”
Now, bear with me for a moment while I math. Someone may need to check my work.
The travel agent books your vacation with a departure date of sometime in June of 2021. You pay a $250 deposit upfront and the final payment is due in March 2021. Assuming you started this process in January 2020, that leaves you 14 months to pay the balance. Your monthly payment would be a reasonable $125.
Each month your travel agent sends you an invoice and you give her your credit card number through a secure site. She uses that info to pay the supplier $125 toward your dream vacation. By the time March 2021 rolls around, your vacation is paid for and you are daydreaming of drinking mojitos on the beach.
Payment plans can help you stay focused and moving towards your goals. And they are just one of the many benefits of working with a travel agent.
Be willing to make sacrifices
I was trying to keep this post positive and upbeat by not mentioning things that conjure up unpleasant emotions. But I would be doing you guys a disservice if I didn’t point out that sometimes, in order to reach a goal, you have to make a few sacrifices along the way.
Sacrificing is an area that is going to be my personal focus in 2020. The hubs and I have agreed that food is a budget line item that could stand to be reined in. There’s a lot of excess and waste in this area. If we can tighten our belts and spend less, it could have a significant impact on our disposable income which we use for traveling.
Getting there may prove challenging though. This is when we will need to come back to our why and remember the reasons we’ve placed these constraints on ourselves.
As you are looking ahead to the new year, I encourage you to make travel a top priority. It is possible to reach your travel goals. But you do have to be intentional and take concrete steps that move you in the right direction. Life is about experiences and creating memories that last a lifetime. Any sacrifices you make to add these things to your life will be well worth it.