Unpacking the Lessons
You probably have a list to help you pack for your trips, but what about when you’re unpacking? How do you organize that part of your trip? Or do you even think about being organized at that point?
My VA traveled to Ireland recently, and when we talked about it, I encouraged her to do her unpacking mindfully, and with her lists handy. Why?
Well because, as T.S. Eliot once described it:
What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.
So, think of the end of your travels as your new starting point. When you’re unpacking, your trip is fresh in your mind. What you needed — and perhaps more importantly — what you didn’t need is accessible and obvious to you. Four months from now, when you travel again, you may not remember the details so clearly.
I recently came upon a very helpful piece on Unclutterer titled An organized ending to a trip that lays out some excellent ideas for bringing any trip to a close and leaving yourself with clear beginning points for the next time. There are so many helpful details that are crystal clear at the end of a trip, but that quickly get lost as the days and weeks move along.
Unpacking Mindfully-3 Timely Tips
Here are just three ideas to help you get started on unpacking mindfully and gleaning the lessons from whatever your recent journey has been:
- Remove what you didn’t need. Many people tend to take too much – especially when it’s your first visit to a place. So it’s very helpful, as you’re unpacking, to either make note of the things you didn’t need OR simply remove them from your list.
- Anything you forgot? This is the flip side of the coin. Was there something you really needed or would have liked to have? Add it to your list for next time – and make a note as to why it’s important. Memory-triggering details are very helpful.
- Templates, templates, templates! I am a strong believer in templates and I really don’t think you can have too many. Create a new template for your next trip but save your old one too. These become storehouses of information (not to mention memories). Be sure to label them well, using dates and precise descriptions so that you can retrieve what you need when you need it. Evernote is an excellent venue for storing and editing lists and templates, but you can certainly also use paper and pen if that’s what you’re most comfortable with.
Unpacking the lessons of any experience stands you in good stead for making your next beginning. This is true whether you’re traveling to another place, or simply journeying through your days and weeks!
Time is pure potential — an empty slate. You decide how to use it; and once you do, it’s gone. That’s why it’s so important to build on your best time choices! If you want to get better at unpacking the lessons that your time holds, then you’ll want to claim your copy of my FREE “Daily Choices Template: Proven Strategies for Tracking Your Best Time Choices Today, Tomorrow & All Year!” There’s no time like the present – to start moving toward the future you envision for yourself.
Speak Your Mind