You have a goal. You start listing all the things you need to do to get there. Suddenly it seems too ______ . Fill in the blank here. Overwhelming? Difficult? Scary? Time consuming? I’ve been thwarted by reactions like this.
Normally we plan ahead. But what if we planned backwards instead? I tried it and am on my way to developing plans for a bicycle trip across the U.S.
Give it a try. Start with the end in mind.
- When will this happen?
- Picture where you will be and what you are doing.
- What are you doing right before you get there?
- And right before that?
This backwards journey will be fun, and let you use muscles you don’t use everyday. By the time you complete it, you’ll have a detailed plan for moving forward.
thanks to Susan Strauss for the idea and helping me practice it.
photo: Brussels – Walk Backwards. photo by William Murphy. Actions fotopedia.com