“Some of your best ideas come when you’re on vacation.” – Gautam Singhania
Should you take your planner on vacation?
I know, I know, you’re supposed to be relaxing and checking out from reality. It’s definitely not time for homework. Maybe this is a definite no to you? I totally get it. But if so, I want to challenge your thinking.
In everyday life, your journal planner serves primarily to maintain focus, increase productivity and support personal reflection and growth. While on vacation, we often move our focus to relaxing, creating memories, and enjoying experiences with our loved ones–as it should be! However, with that in mind, you’ll want to ensure that you make the best of it. Right? Keep reading. I can’t wait to share a few ideas with you on how to enhance your vacation experience by planning and journaling. Maybe I’ll change your mind, and you’ll move from a “no thank you” to a definite yes!
BEFORE YOUR VACATION – PLAN.
Time away for most of us is rare. Who wants to spend their valuable vacation time googling and mapping out the next activity? Taking full advantage of the time away by spending a little time planning ahead is like giving your vacation self a sweet little gift from your everyday self.
Planner For Vacation ahead allows you to choose the top places you’d like to go and consider which days work best for each activity. AND you’ll always have the option to kick it to the curb if things shift and you want to go with a different flow.
Here are four things you’ll want to plan for.
#1 - General Itinerary
Your itinerary serves not only as your schedule and guide for your travels but planning it ahead sets your mind up for vacation. Maybe you’re like me – initially, I thought I DO NOT want to be tied to an agenda. Then I realized an itinerary is helpful when you want to avoid thinking on vacation. You’ve already thought ahead. That’s so mind-freeing!
#2 - Bucket List Ideas to Make Happen
Vacations offer the perfect opportunity to determine which bucket list items you can bring to life! Not sure where to start when creating your itinerary? Map out some of your bucket list items that make the most sense for the places you will be visiting.
#3 - Dinner
Have you ever been on a trip, or even just out of town, and it’s time to eat, so you decide to drive around to find somewhere. Every time you stop to get in line for a table, it’s a 45 min to an hour wait? Over and over again, you’re running into a long wait. At one point, you have to decide if waiting will be quicker than continuing to drive around to find somewhere to get you in. I literally HATE that process. I’m starving at this point, and everyone has their own ideas of what you should do. It’s the death of me. 
That lady above – you know, driving all around – well, when you plan ahead, you’re the one sitting at the table enjoying your meal, laughing with your friends and family instead of getting aggravated with them and the situation more and more by the minute.
If you plan for nothing else on your vacation, plan your meals. You can cancel if something comes up or if your mood changes, but the dinner plans will create an anchor for all of the other plans. Save the drive around stress, and give your mind the much-needed break you deserve… and enjoy the whole reason you’re on vacation – peace and relaxation.
#4 - Planner for Vacation - Budget
What can ruin a vacation quicker than the budget talk/argument? Let’s take that reality check before leaving. You know where you’re going, and you likely have your room. You’ve looked into your bucket list items and your dinner plans. Decide before leaving if you’ve created a realistic plan and have the funds to make it all happen.
ORGANIZATION - Creating a home away from home for your most important vacation items.
One last thing before heading out – pack your life management tote. Don’t leave home without it! Here are the items you’ll want in this valuable bag.
Your journal that holds your schedule, your thoughts, and your things…including your car rental information, hotel name & address, flight information, agenda, AND cash on hand…that’s always a must. I also love having my journal pockets to store printouts like receipts or tickets, etc. Once you’re at your destination, you’ll get a better feel of the area and if there’s a possibility you want to adjust some of your plans. You’ll have your journal to jot down recommendations of local attractions or ideas that Google just can’t know.
Your tote will be the home for your passport, wallets, extra cash, sunglasses, etc. Maybe you’ll throw in a book or two. The bottom line, this will be a toolbox you won’t want to be without.
Archive your memories by JOURNALING.
In my daily life, I use the Plan to GRO journal to quickly reflect on the day each evening. It is so helpful to see patterns in my life that I would like to break or simply be grateful for the small things that life offers that are easy to miss. Journaling to reflect each day when you’re on a trip… it’s a whole new level. How blessed are you to be able to make a day like that happen? We can get so caught up in all the little things that don’t go exactly as planned that we miss the blessing in the opportunity. Journaling is an amazing reminder, and it only takes a few moments.
I have recently purchased a little KODAK Mini 2 Retro Portable Instant Photo Printer. It links to my phone, and I am able to quickly print out an image that best reflects the moments of the day. On my next trip, I will be bringing this printer with me in my life organization tote. I’ll quickly print out the image and tape it into my evening journal page. This photo captures the memory forever. (click here to see how to set up your own “life management tote”)
When I read back through my journal one to five years from now, the blessing of the trip comes flooding back. The investment it took to make it happen is appreciated once again.
I often take a few moments in the evenings (or the next morning) to write about the moments I don’t want to forget and express gratitude for the experience.
Here are a few journal prompts you may want to consider:
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What did I do?
Why did I do It?
Who was with me?
How did I feel after?
Would I do it again?
Was it easy or hard to do?
What is my favorite memory from the day?
Prepare for Success
Again, time away for most of us is rare. Planning, organizing, and journaling can be an amazing resource to gain all that you can out of every moment.
What about you? Do you bring a Planner For Vacation, or do you leave ‘that world’ behind to relax and unwind? If you do, what are some of your favorite tips and tricks? Please share in the comments below, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe! Until next time, blessings for your vacation and your day-to-day life!
p.s. – this was one of our favorite vacations in 32 years of marriage and the thing I didn’t plan for was taking pictures of us together. We were all caught up in the moments… that’s my favorite memory from our time away and guess where they are archived? My Plan to GRO journal!
Happy GRO-ing!
