Captain Cavedweller and I have been doing some research for a vacation we’re planning later this year. We haven’t decided exactly where we want to go, so we’ve been looking at travel brochures and publications.
The other day one came in the mail that was a beautiful full-color glossy magazine highlighting all the fun and exciting things you could see in the state.
Right away, I noticed there were no maps in the publication.
No maps?
How am I supposed to decide what part of the state I want to visit or if we can hit several areas during our trip? Yes, I can look up the maps online or brush the dust off my old Rand McNally Road Atlas, but how much handier would it be if there were maps in the tourism publication I was holding in my hot little hand.
Based on the information provided in that travel guide, I would essentially have no idea where to go or how to get there. Just random names of towns and cities with a list of fun things to do.
To quote George Harrison from “Any Road,”
And if you don’t know where you’re going
Any road will take you there
I’m not a fly by the seat of my pants traveler. I want to know exactly where we are going, how we will get there, an approximately number of hours it will take, where we will stay once we arrive, and a rough idea of what we plan to do. The one time we decided just to see where we ended up on a road trip with no destination in mind, we ended up staying in a dingy little dive on the side of the road and neither of us had a particularly fun time.
A destination, road map, and some idea of where we were going would have been a huge help.
In our writing, we have to have road maps, we need markers and signs and all sorts of guidance to get us from where we are to where we want to be.
If you don’t have a road map (plan) in place, you need to get one right away.
Where is it you want your writing to take you?
What mode of transportation will you use to get there?
What road will you take?
What landmarks will you use to chart your progress?
Your writing endeavors are too important, too vital to leave to chance. There is no willy-nilly on the road to success!
If you haven’t made a plan yet, sit down and do it.
Right now!
If you don’t have a clue where to start, begin with some SMART Goals and go from there.
Don’t be one of those people who spend their life going in circles or spinning their wheels because they haven’t mapped out the journey.
Get a map, make a plan, and go for it!
