Making New Memories

A catch-up with a colleague a few months ago turned into an ‘aha’ moment for me and has led Out of the Rut into an exciting new chapter – on the road and making memories!

My friend mentioned that a lot of his older clients reminisced about what they did in their twenties and thirties. He thought it much more fun to be enjoying the ‘good times’ right now rather than remembering times past, so he set himself a challenge to create ‘new memories’. This really struck a chord with me and got me thinking!

For some time, I’d had a quiet yearning to buy a motorhome and travel around the country. The attraction was a sense of freedom after a decade of living the dream of the lifestyle (or ‘life-sentence!’) block, with horses and other live (and the inevitable ‘dead’) stock, an accident or two, a relationship crash… Well, you get the idea. As a distraction I’d been doing research into my ideal motorhome. My criteria was: under 6 metres in length and a potential consulting space to enable me to create a working sabbatical.

My plan was to travel next year (in 2018) but I’ve learned to fast-forward dreams: early this year, my son and daughter-in-law came home from overseas to build their home in Nelson, where we had moved to nine months earlier. It occurred to me that there was no time like the present, so I came up with a proposal: they could have the run of my house while they built their own, and they could enjoy some space (larger than a yacht cabin) and be available for my very independent and elderly mum who has reached the grand old age of 91.

My purpose is to create new memories, spend time with those important to me, seek new friendships and walk my talk by getting ‘out of my rut’.

On 31st March I took my wishlist to the big Auckland motorhome show and two weeks later I drove my purchase down through Cyclone Debbie to Blenheim, and then through the next weather event to Nelson. On 1st May I started on my Nelson–Blenheim–Christchurch ‘shake-down cruise’ around the top of the South. As I write, I am now in the early stages of my 2-month winterless north adventure – for work and play – before returning to the mainland for the spring.

In intend to be available to work with my regular (and new) clients as well as to provide coaching and ‘accountability’ services to enable individuals, businesses and couples (in crisis) to move forward, get out of their rut, and realise their potential. I’ll also be fitting in some hiking, biking and catching up with friends as I go.

So what’s next?!

With help from my friends and a variety of online services you are now welcome to subscribe to Making New Memories (the news and blues of my life on the road); collect tips and tricks to help support your communication and life at home and at work; and have access to business coaching and personal facilitation services to sort your stuff ‘on your doorstep’.

Sound like you?

Then take a moment to sign up to my newsletter (at top right of this blog post) and I look forward to seeing you on the journey!