SubscribeToday was my eldest daughters’ biannual dental checkup. Even though we’ve been going to this dentist for more than two years, I get lost almost every time. Priya still recounts the occasions where I was either on the phone with Dad getting turn-by-turn MapQuest directions, or with the dentist’s office assuring them that I really was there – their office building just wasn’t where I expected it to be.
The thing is, I have a pretty good sense of direction. I typically only need to take a route once before I’ve locked it in. And, I’m not afraid of getting lost. In fact, I often veer off of my intended path if enticed by an interesting house, street or neighborhood.
I have lots of theories about what’s at play … I’ve been there several times before, so I should know where it is. Therefore, I hop in the minivan, start driving and am usually on the road for several minutes before I realize that I don’t know exactly where I’m headed. Second, it’s in a neighborhood that one can get to a thousand different ways. Given my propensity to explore, I don’t usually take the same route to or from each appointment, so repetition is not on my side. Third, there’s a bit of construction near the office. Since we only go twice a year, the changes are pretty dramatic. Couple that with approaching the office from a different direction, and my perspective is really thrown. I could go on …
So, today, with three kids in tow, I decided to the logical thing and print out directions. I couldn’t bear the thought of tiny concerned voices asking in turn:
“Mommy, are we lost?”
“Mommy, are we going to be late?”
“Mommy, should you call somebody?” (O.K., the little guy can’t talk yet, but this is what I’d be hearing in his random gurglings.)
Today we got there in record time. We were early, in fact. Will it stick? I certainly hope so, since I have to take our three year old for her first checkup on Friday.
As I meandered home, taking the very same route home as I took to get there (yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!), I thought about how often we move through life in the same way as I’d been getting to and from the dentist – by the seat of my pants.
Do you know where you are going? Not necessarily today or tomorrow, but where are you headed five years from now? Ten years? Twenty? You may have a pretty good idea, or not much of one at all. Whatever the case, imagine how different your life might be if you did know, if you created a plan – a map and a set of directions – and if you took active steps to get there.
I always made it to the dentist’s office eventually. Often late, disheveled, and apologetic … But, by taking a few minutes to really consider where I was going and create a plan for getting there, I got there calmly, confidently and even early! Blow this up to a really big scale (your life!), and image the possibilities.