Nobody loves standing in long security lines, and I don’t know one person who is thrilled that airline seats recline about four inches, if you’re lucky. But I do know people who love to travel, no matter what. No matter what happens, traveling is fun. Why? They have an adventurer mindset.
If you ask me where my happy places are, I’ll tell you Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and airports. There’s something about the atmosphere of an airport that makes me excited every time. Even if I’m not flying. It’s probably all of the childhood memories I have of city lights, conveyor belt sidewalks, taking off, and knowing we’re about to go somewhere fun.
It’s all about the memories
I have had more than one trip that didn’t go as planned. Even when the frustration and annoyance kick in, it’s usually forgotten by the time you get home, or at least less painful to talk about. And no matter how awful it was at the time, it’s always a good story (and sometimes great pictures).
I’ve talked to people whose trips got rained out, who missed connecting flights, who got lost, or who even had passports stolen — and when I ask them how their trip was, they smile and say, “It was great!” and proceed to tell me the full exciting tale.
So what’s their secret? I’ll tell you: they’ve let go of the perfectionist mindset and adopted the adventure mindset. The difference between these two paradigms changes everything.
Your thoughts are your reality
The perfectionist sets unrealistically high expectations for themselves, others, and situations — and when things don’t go well, they often fall into self-blame or blaming others. The adventurer makes a plan and is prepared, but is willing to roll with what comes along that might not fit with “The Plan.”
The perfectionist often avoids risk and only goes with the obvious path in an attempt to avoid “failure.” The adventurer is less concerned with control and more interested in creative approaches and critical thinking when it comes to problem solving.
The perfectionist focuses on what isn’t working and is often impatient and critical. The adventurer sees what’s going well and what there is to be grateful for and is quick to offer appreciation, flexibility, and help in tough situations.
As author and coach Naomi Teeter points out, the adventurer knows how to ask “quality questions” when faced with a challenge, questions like:
- What’s the best thing that could happen from this?
- Hasn’t everything worked out just fine in the past? Aren’t I OK?
- What if I chose to be happy and carefree about this instead?
- What is this teaching me?
- How can I use this experience to support others?
- How could I turn this into a great story?
- What can I do differently next time so that this doesn’t happen?
There are definitely times I fall into the perfectionist mindset, in travel and in life. But I also know that at any moment, I can choose something different. I can always choose an attitude of adventure. And as a lifelong perfectionist, adopting the default mindset of “it’s not a big deal” has made a huge difference, because when you really think about it, it rarely is.
If you’re ready to plan your next great adventure, I’d love to help you get there. You can contact me today by clicking here.