Planning a Year of Adventure

30 Dec Planning a Year of Adventure

Here is a step by step guide for planning and goal setting to make sure you live your most exciting and adventurous life this coming year. Use this simple strategy to make the first steps towards having a great year and maybe even crossing off some bucket list trips and adventures.

Tony Robbins said “ The quality of your life is measured by the sum of the questions you ask.”

I’d take that a step further and say that the level of adventure and satisfaction in your life is the sum of the questions you ask.

Joe and Terry Mount Aspiring 2017

It’s that time of year now, where we can take a step back and reflect on the year that was and look forward to the year that’s about to be. If you let your year just happen there is a good chance you will not achieve all you want. I find a brainstorming process really useful, get the whole family involved, sit down together with a whiteboard or some butchers paper and brainstorm your year of adventure.

Be careful not to get stuck into the “how” too early. – Only start to look at time and resources once you’ve let your imagination fly. You really will get the most out of the process if you let your imagination know no limits.

Beau White Everest trip 2017

Joe’s year of adventure planning process:

1. Reflect on the year that was:
   1. What was this year like? Did I get to go on enough adventures, small or large?
   2. What didn’t I do this year that I would have liked to?
   3. What would I liked to have done more of this year?
2. What are the possibilities for the year ahead? Ask the brainstorming questions:
   1. What are things I haven’t done?
   2. Places I haven’t been?
   3. Places Ive been I’d like to explore again/more?
   4. Sports I’d like to do? Events I’d like to Enter?
   5. What are skills I’d like/need to acquire? Things I’d like to learn?
   6. People I’d like to have adventures with?
   7. Hikes and Trails I’d like to do?
   8. Weekends away? (try and plan a weekend, preferably a long weekend away every quarter)
   9. Big adventure for the year?
3. What time do I have?
   1. How can I make this fit?
   2. What changes in my timetable can I commit to this year?
4. Resources:
   1. What resources do I need?
      1. equipment lists?
      2. knowledge? what skills are needed
      3. what training and physical prep would I have to do?
      4. expertise? what do I know, who do I know? what don’t I know
   2. What resources do I already have?
5. Planning – making this reality:
   1. Draw up a shortlist of all you want to achieve this coming year
   2. Create time lines for each, include what is needed from your resource list?
   3. Before you finish the session you MUST add an individual “what is the next action” item to each and all of your planned adventures. What is the very next action to be taken. This is a great trick I learnt from David Allen author of the fantastic book “Getting Things Done”
6. Action – another great trick I learnt from Tony Robbins – never leave the place of setting a goal without taking the first step of taking it from a dream to a reality – so look at your list of next actions and take an action towards one of them RIGHT NOW.

Henry and Nikki Talbot, Patagonia 2017

NB – You’ll notice in point 7 I’ve separated off Hikes and Trails. You might be saying to yourself “But I’m a runner or a cyclist”. I have a very firm belief that all of us in this day and age need to actually spend some time just walking in nature. Don’t get me wrong I love trail running, but every now and then we just need to slow down and be able to appreciate the wonders around us, breathing and moving slowly taking in the sights, the growth, nature itself, rather than just how we physically challenge ourselves to be there. Apart from grounding us and bringing us back to earth, this will enhance our appreciation for the outdoor, wilderness and adventure sports of our choosing.

Have a great year, have fun, be adventurous and travel safe!

Joe Bonington (c) 2017