Over the past week and a half, I took a road trip in this Mustang convertible. I went to Savannah, Hilton Head, back to Orlando, then to Georgetown SC, Myrtle Beach, and Raleigh. I then went to Charleston and Jacksonville FL before coming back home.
Driving a convertible on a lengthy road trip was something that I’ve wanted to do for years now and I finally did it. This is an illustration of something that I frequently tell people for living a happier life: Test drive before you buy – goals and experiences too! That is, see if you can find a way to simulate the experiences you think you might want before making major purchases or before investing a lot of time, effort, and resources so that you can better ensure they represent what you truly want.
For example, one of the reasons why I wanted to rent a convertible was because I had contemplated buying one and wanted to see if this might be in my future. So this provided a low cost option for trying it out first. You can test drive other experiences in a similar fashion.
For example, If you think you might like to live in San Diego, then take a couple of lengthy trips there on ordinary average days or weeks, in ordinary average locations, to see what it might be like to live there on a day-to-day or a week-to-week basis.
If you think you might enjoy not working then take a few weeks off and stay in your local area doing ordinary average things to see if this might truly appeal to you or whether you just needed a break. A number of retirees thought retirement was something they truly wanted only to find themselves feeling bored, noncontributory, and unproductive. Perhaps if they had simulated the retirement experience first they might have come to this realization and instead continued working on a part time basis, worked a different type of job, or contributed in some other fashion.
If you think you might really enjoy teaching then perhaps volunteer at a local school to see if this is something you truly want before pursuing a degree in education. You can perform similar kinds of activities for other career fields to include healthcare, business, and hospitality. Years ago I thought I might like to become a teacher so I simulated the experience by providing presentations on my work in virtual reality based research and technology at various local high schools. After spending time in the classrooms and talking to teachers I realized it was not something I would enjoy as much as I had originally imagined. I thought I would enjoy the students, but not so much the administrative and preparation work or all the time spent outside of class grading papers, projects, and tests, and supporting all of the extracurricular activities and events. I’m happy that I learned that lesson prior to investing the time, resources, and effort to make it happen.
And I’m happy that I rented the convertible for my road trip. Because I came to the realization that, although a fun vehicle to drive, it would be more of a toy I’d enjoy taking out every once in a while and not something I would want to drive all the time. So, I’d be better off by perhaps getting a used convertible, as a second car, just for fun. Another option might be to rent a three wheeler to see if that might be something I would enjoy instead.
So many people expend a substantial amount of time, effort, and resources on creating the life they think they want only to discover that it’s not what they truly want at all. Don’t do this to yourself. Always seek to test drive the goals and experiences you think you might want before making major purchases or investing a lot of time, effort, and resources to make sure that they represent your true desires. If you do this then you will live a happier, more productive life. So seek to do this often in your life.
This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/
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