I'm going on holiday and I'm not prepared
but maybe I am? 🤔
I'm going on holiday in two weeks’ time. And I do NOT feel prepared.
Don't get me wrong1, I've got flights booked. Hotels are sorted. I have a decent idea of what we'll be doing; there's even a spreadsheet itinerary.
And yet. I don't feel prepared. I don't feel emotionally prepared.
This is a big trip for me. It's one whole month2; split between Hong Kong (where I grew up between the ages of 7 and 14), and Japan — where my brother, sister-in-law, and adorable nephew live.
I should be excited about this trip. And I am… I think? But also...
Do you ever find yourself preparing for something you can't really imagine?
Like, you have an idea, maybe, of what it will be or look like. But you can't really imagine yourself immersed in it. You can’t imagine it might be reality.
I suspect this happens a lot. Maybe all the time, for many of us.
It feels weird preparing for something you suppose in theory is going to happen. (I'm guessing here that parents will know what I'm talking about, and then some.)
You take action in the faith that things will happen. Even though you maybe don't feel that connected to it yet.
Even though you maybe don't 'believe' it's going to happen, you take action regardless, because another part of you trusts the formula. If I book these flights, I will get on this plane. I will land in Hong Kong. I will be on holiday.
Now, obviously not everything in life is this predictable.
I wish I could say, if I do xyz, I will make a certain, specific amount of money, by a certain, specific date.
That doesn't happen — not in the business of self-employment.
But, I can see I'm also taking action, while not knowing how lots of my holiday is going to go.
This may seem a trivial example, but I don't know what I'm going to eat on the first day.
I have ideas. (I have bookmarks!) But also, I cannot say with any certainty what I'll be eating.
For some people, this is unremarkable. For others, this can cause mild anxiety. Some of us really like to feel in control. And, some of us are getting over a lifetime of trying to 'optimise' an experience.
I don’t feel prepared for this holiday. And yet, I have to trust I’ve done enough.
Years ago, I would have made this a problem — that I didn’t feel 'prepared.' I would have taken it as a sign that something was wrong.
Nowadays, I know I lean towards a bit of overthinking, but I’m much more relaxed about it.
What I’ve learned is that over-preparing for something doesn’t necessarily make me feel more relaxed. (It just makes me aware of all the things that could go wrong!)
What I’ve also learned is that you don’t always need to feel super connected to something, or even excited about it, to create the possibility of it happening anyway.
If you have a dream or ambition in mind, I would be willing to bet that the two principles I’ve just described will stand you in good stead.
Don’t get me wrong, you need to have some degree of connection to your dream (make sure it’s not someone else’s!); but you certainly don’t need to always believe it’s going to happen.
What do you believe in? What do you want to believe in?
What actions are you taking? What 'fallbacks' are you using — for when you don’t feel super excited and 100% BELIEVE?
Sometimes I wish I could say, 'the formula for success is…'
What I do know is that learning your own formula is 100 (1,000?) percent more rewarding.
And with that, I will leave you — to your success 💛
Until next week,
Kathryn
PS. Last chance to work together at my current rate. If you have a dream and want to discuss it, or have questions about coaching, check out my coaching page and book a call here to see if we’re a good fit. My prices are increasing after June, so if you’d like to work together soon, get in touch now.
I completely understand I’m contradicting myself. I am both prepared and not 'prepared' — because I don’t feel prepared. I expect this to be the common experience of a lot of us.
If you're wondering why on earth I'm going in July — one of the HOTTEST and most humid months of the year in HK & Japan — I'm going with a teacher. Scottish school holidays! ☀️🥵