I want to ask you a question. It is relatively simple. Do you like to travel to new places, to get new experiences and to make lasting memories? I am sure you do. You may not get the time and may think it is too much work for you, but you can’t say that travelling is something you hate.
I don’t think the words are travelling, and hate has ever been used in the same context. It is an activity that is as enjoyed by the young as it is by the aged.
I think that are four categories of travelers;
- For some, travelling is just a hobby that they may indulge in from time to time.
- Then there are the people for whom their trips are the elixir of life. They are that passionate about travelling.
- The third is the luckiest of them all. These are the people who travel as their profession, like bloggers and travel reporters.
- The last category and the purpose of this writing are the thinkers. These people think about travelling all the time. They even make plans; however, these plans never come to fruition. These people only go in thoughts and never in reality.
Another name for them is the procrastinator. Let us try to understand how they operate in their lives and is there a possibility that they will ever make their plans a real trip.
MEET THE PROCRASTINATOR
A person like this is someone who does not like doing things as, and when they are supposed to be done, instead he would keep putting them off until he can get away with it.
There is a degree of procrastination in all of us, and it is alright. As long as we only put off 5-10% of our works, it is acceptable.
For a sincere and fervent procrastinator, the term work-shy comes to my mind. They shy away from all forms of the task, even the once that are meant to keep them happy.
Some examples are;
- He would get a gym membership, but not go to the gym until the last day.
- He would not do his laundry until his last piece of clothing is not dirty and stinky.
- He would even put off a doctor’s appointment until the suffering and pain have become unbearable.
- And of course, the procrastinator will have a plethora of reasons to put off his travel plans for the next eternity.
WHY THE PROCRASTINATOR’S TRAVEL PLANS FAIL?
When anyone thinks of travelling to any place in the world, even if it is from London to Liverpool, there are a lot of constraints that may not let the thought become successful.
For the procrastinator, these constraints will never diminish to let him be free.
- LACK OF FUNDS
The number one reason for all of us to not be able to travel is the lack of funds. From making hotel and flight bookings to the local commute and food in the new city, everything mandates you to have money in your wallet. Without cash, you cannot even think about travelling. Some people take up easy loans for travel purpose, while others save. The procrastinator does neither.
- TOO MUCH WORK AT THE OFFICE
Most of our lives revolve around our work. On average, people spend 8 to 10 hours every weekday at work. Being married to work and workplace being more of home than the actual residence are typical explanations to avoid anything that is not office related.
- TAKEN UP ALL CASUAL LEAVES
You are bound to take some time off from work to travel; however, if you have already taken too many leaves, you might not be able to make some more. Even if you get the leave, it would be unpaid, and a loss of income will not pay for an expensive trip.
- FRIENDS’ SCHEDULE DOESN’T MATCH
People are often petrified of new places, and experiencing these alone becomes even more terrifying. So, all travel plans are made with friends, partners or family. However, getting all of their schedules in order becomes a task, and hence, projects fail.
- WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE DOG?
People all over the world have pets. Most of these pets cannot travel with their owners on their trips. So they have to be left behind. Now, the problem is finding a satisfactory pet-sitter who will feed them time and keep them company. More times than not, the owners fail to find someone like this and never go on trips.
You must think that all these reasons sound pretty valid and they are. However, they can be overcome pretty quickly if a person wants to. Since a procrastinator does not, he never gets to travel.
WILL THE CORONAVIRUS CHANGE HIM?
There is nothing good that will ever come out of a pandemic that is slowly destroying mankind. With people dying faster than they are recovering, the corona virus is indeed a terror.
But if you think about it, the lockdown, both self-imposed and government ordered as made us value our freedom more than ever. We are trying to keep sane in our homes that have turned into cages, but it is almost impossible.
If you go out, you might get infected and die and that will be the end of your time on earth.
I bet all the tentative travel plans seem like bad decisions to everybody, not just the procrastinators. You can still do something about it.
- Close your eyes
- Imagine a place with peace and tranquility
- Think about the person whom you want to share it with.
Now you have a place and a companion to make your trip a reality when this pandemic is over. Because you know how frightening the end can be, you will not take the small things in life like travelling for granted.
WINDING UP
Travelling is the best way to relax, to recuperate and get back on your A-game. Yet people avoid it like the plague. They most definitely should not. The procrastinators can find a million reasons to not go on a trip, but a single factor can trump all of them, and that is “you only live once.”
