You know what I’m talking about. The kind of projects or initiatives with big rollouts, timelines, budget meetings, meeting after meeting about project deadlines, whether the project was on track or off track, etc. How can you use a work environment framework to plan for when you are not working?
Use a one-year framework. Maybe two years if you have to. But no longer than that. You won’t need that long to do the ideas I am writing about below.
What does this look like? How do you do this? Why would you do this? The "what" and the "how" are listed below and divided into two groups – those that cost a little more and those that cost a little less. Why would you do this? Because it’s fun. It's memorable. It's enjoyable. You can do all of it or parts of it with others. It allows you to experience life.
And the best part is that you can do this over and over, just by picking a different activity each year.
So, let’s focus on the first part – the what and the how. I want you to focus all of your energy on completing something that could be meaningful to you (and/or your spouse or partner) or maybe just fun. Do everything else that needs to be done during the year (family vacations, visiting friends, laundry, etc.), but have one singular focus for the year that you can plan out over the next 12 months.
The next step is to figure out the idea or initiative that you want to do for one year. Stuck on what that might be? Here are some ideas: Let’s first talk about budget-friendly ideas:
1. Drive to and hike in every state park in North Carolina. How many are there? 41. Click here to be taken to a page that lists all 41 - https://www.ourstate.com/a-guide-to-north-carolinas-41-state-parks/
2. Charlotte and North Carolina have become tiny meccas for breweries. Why don’t you try visiting each one on the weekend? Sample a craft brew, take some notes about each brewery, and then write a blog post about it. How many breweries are there in Charlotte? More than 30. How many are in North Carolina? More than 300. It may take you two years to visit them all!
3. Take classes at a local community college for a year. Learn something new and stretch your mind. Be a student again on a subject you never got to explore or one you want to go into further.
4. Try cooking a new meal once per week. Do I really need to point you to a website on this? How many foodie websites are there? So, choose a meal. Make it the focal point of your week to make this one meal at home. Make it special. Light a candle. Open a bottle of wine. Make it worth remembering.
5. Join a book club – either online or in person. Attend weekly. Or you could do the same idea with a bible study. The point is to do it each week and be active and involved.
Now let’s talk about some ideas that cost a little more money:
1. Like golf? Try playing a different golf course every week for a year. Try playing as many golf courses in Myrtle Beach as possible. Arrive early. Hit the range and the putting green. Get your 18 holes in and then visit the 19th hole for a beverage. Buy a knick-knack item to remember your experience and take a picture of you and the folks you played with. Post it online or send it to the family.
2. Learn a foreign language for three or four months and then book a vacation in that country or area. Stay for more than a week – try 14 days and really take your time and visit local hangouts to see how good your language skills are. Interact with others. Do this twice this year – visit Germany and Italy, for example.
3. Take a long weekend each month to the same state for a year –such as Georgia or Tennessee. Visit all of the big cities and smaller ones too and really learn about the state's history and geography. Attend a sporting event or two and visit their most touristy travel spots. You might find a new favorite beach, mountain retreat, or vacation getaway.
4. Follow your favorite sports team and attend their away games for the season. Travel with fans of your team. Or try visiting every major league baseball park. That’s an undertaking and a lot of 7th inning stretches!
So. Create a list of ideas. Settle on one main focus or idea. Plan out the year. Get a map. Look at the calendar. Do a Google search. Plot the first few dates of your activity. Make it a monthly agenda item for yourself to have coffee and review where you went, what you did, and where you will go. Put all of this project stuff from your past to good use!
Ask yourself this: Would you ever forget the year that you visited all 41 State Parks? Would you ever forget the year that you spent a dozen long weekends in Charleston?
Read more articles by Alex Bishop