Why Travel Should Be Included In Your 2019 Goals – and How to Make it Happen

So you’re at home thinking of all the things you want to accomplish in 2019. Maybe it’s been on your mind the last couple of weeks but now it’s crunch time. Lose 10 pounds, eat more vegetables, drink more water, read 10 books—all great goals. But if you ask me, something is missing. Something fun. Something exciting. Not something that escapes your brain or finds itself crumpled up in the junk drawer by January 15.

I’m talking about TRAVEL.

By definition, to make a journey. The art of experiencing the world, connecting with people who are different than yourself, and learning new ways of life. There is so much more to traveling than just taking a long weekend away from home or going on a yearly family vacation. Traveling can help shape you, introduce you to new friends, and give you experiences that are difficult to explain — in the best way.

Maybe you never travel. You don’t have time, your bank account never seems to have enough cash, the kids need you, you have a demanding job, you stink at planning, this that and the other. You’ll get to it someday. To you, I say those are excuses – read on.

Maybe you do travel, but really don’t see a need for “travel goals.” You decide where to go, book it and you’re done. To you, I say read more to become more intentional, save money, plan ahead, and likely check even more destinations off your bucket list in the long run.

7 Reasons Why Travel Goals are Important:

1. They Add to Your Life; Most goals are tough – giving up sweets, drinking less wine, losing 10 pounds. To be honest, a lot of goals are not that much fun. How about a goal that ADDS to your life (in the form of fun, experiences, connections and much more) instead of all your goals TAKING THINGS AWAY?

2. Holds You Accountable; Get rid of the oh, we’re thinking about going to Colorado this year. We’ll see if it works out. With a goal in place, you can break it into attainable chunks to make it happen. Save $25 a week, book a flight by June 1, research hotels in June and book by July 1. A plan of attack ensures you will follow through.

3. Helps You Plan Ahead; Last minute trips can be fun, but the lack of planning can come back to bite you at times. Having goals allows you to save money over time (don’t go into debt traveling – unless you have a solid plan in place to get yourself out when you return). They will also provide you with a high-level plan that can turn into money saved and more than one trip per year. If you know you are capable of making a trip this spring, that gives you time to plan and save for a trip in the fall as well.

4. Deeper Connections with Family/Friends; Extend your relationships past holidays and the occasional dinner. Traveling with your family and friends is a perfect way to bring you closer together and allow you to experience unforgettable memories together. You will forever hold a connection with that person in a different place.

5. Introduces You to New Cultures, People and Experiences; Good for the soul. Understanding that the world goes beyond your view and people don’t live exactly like you do is important. Your perspective changes, your thoughts change and you give yourself better knowledge as to what’s going on all around you. Try new foods (possibly the top perk of travel!), learn what places and activities bring others joy, walk the same streets the locals do, and the list goes on. There is SO MUCH to experience out there.

6. Helps You Achieve Other Goals; Maybe you have a hard time relaxing? Or you can never seem to accomplish your reading goal? Or you haven’t mastered the best way for you to save money. Traveling is the perfect stepping stone to additional goals.

7. They Keep You Inspired; Once you plan, save, experience and accomplish a travel goal, you’re going to want to do it again. And again. And again. And the best part is…there are ALWAYS more places to go.

Now you know why travel goals are important. But, there is a catch. For all of this to happen, you have to be intentional. Telling yourself I want to travel more is going to lead you to one place – the couch. The same place that I want to run more brings you. Goals need substance. They need details and a plan. Much like I will run a 5k gets you on the path to running, I will go to Seattle, Washington this coming June will put you on the path to adventure. The plan below will get you where you want to go this year.

Step-by-Step Action Plan for Travel Goal Setting

1. Figure Out What’s Holding You Back; Is it time? Money? Not having a travel buddy? Figure out the biggest thing standing in your way and start planning how you’re going to bust through it. If your issue is time, start with a quick 3-day getaway. If it’s money, read my 5 Tips to Save Money for Your Next Trip. I promise they are all effective – I use them every day. If you don’t have a companion, call up a family member, message a friend, or take a solo trip. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

2. Decide on a Destination; Start making a list. Did you see someone’s travel photos on Facebook and think wow, that looks fun! Write it down. See somewhere on TV that sparked your interest? Write it down. Hear from a friend, always had a curiosity, or your finger randomly landed on it as you perused a map? Write it down. From there, pick one realistic place that you can set as your first travel goal. Once it’s accomplished, check back in with your list and get going on the next one!

3. Decide on Timing; Set realistic dates for your trip—keeping in mind that they can, and probably will shift, but only slightly. Can you save enough money by this timeframe? Is it a good time of year to travel to your particular destination? Will there be someone available to take care of kids/pets? Will you have the vacation time at work? Though this step can get tricky, it’s crucial. Hard deadlines are more effective and an “end point” to your goal will help you much more than saving/planning for a random date in the future.

4. Write it down; Phrase used again on purpose because if there is one thing I believe in, it’s the power of writing down your goals. Also known as, communicating with the universe. And no, I’m not being a weirdo. By writing down your goals, you are allowing your intentions to seep into your subconscious, where they will live and flourish. I found an old, forgotten iPhone note from the end of 2017 that had a few 2018 goals in it. In my note, I had written Travel to 3 new cities; Seattle, Nashville, and Boston. Guess which three cities I made it to in 2018…I swear it’s magic.

Find a notebook, journal or use your phone and each day when you wake up write one sentence (it takes about 10 seconds) “I am going to [CITY] the [DATE] of [MONTH].” Let your planning skills and subconscious take it from there.

5. Who is Packing Their Bags with You; If you are asking someone to come with you, the best approach is to give them as many details as possible, including an estimate on how much it will cost right up front (see next step). It’s harder to commit when you don’t have the details but if you give them a solid action-plan, it’s less intimidating to go all-in.

6. Draw Up a Quick Budget; This can be loose but figure out a well-rounded number to strive for. Typically, I will set a long weekend vacation travel budget at $1,000. This is generous and includes a flight, 3 nights of (shared) lodging and any spending money. Step 5 should be figured out to the extent of how many people are joining, in order to give you the most accurate budget.

7. Break Down Your Goal Into Smaller Chunks; Figure out how many weeks out your trip is and divide that by your budget to get a weekly savings goal. Determine dates you would like to purchase your flight by, have a hotel picked out by and any other details as far as what you will need (maybe a rental car) or want to do (a game, museum, etc.). Chipping away at each step of your trip will make it seem much more attainable.

Make sure to work in tandem with your budget—don’t commit to a flight booking date unless your savings goal will allow for that much at the time.

8. Start Saving and Planning; The dirty work is (mostly) done and now the fun can begin. Research your destination, keep a note in your phone of what you find and would like to do, stick to your weekly savings plan and in no time, you’ll be ready to go on your trip and reach your goal! The biggest part from here on out is remaining accountable.

Spice up your 2019 goals. There’s no need for a laundry list of To Do’s that you know you are going to follow for a week or two and then completely fall off the wagon. Though the first time determining a travel goal and detailing out a plan can be overwhelming, it only takes accomplishing it once to understand why it’s all worth it.

What will you be writing down in the new year?

Below are a few examples to get you started.

1. Travel to 3 new cities this year
2. Go on a road trip with my best friend this summer
3. Visit X city this fall
4. Save $50 per week for my trip to X
5. Take a family vacation to X