Early in my career I had to visit a supplier in France. The company was in Paris, so evenings became perfect for sightseeing.
The Eiffel Tower was high on my list. I asked one of my French colleagues if he had any suggestions for my visit. Surprisingly, he hadn’t visited the landmark, despite living in the area of many years.
The same dynamic applies to me at times in Los Angeles. Some things are so close, I could go any time. As a result, “any time” often doesn’t happen.
On New Year’s Day in 2015 as I watched the Rose Parade on TV, I decided it would be fun to go this year. Pasadena isn’t far from home. And I had happy memories of attending the parade once as a teen.
What fun this morning was. There was the parade of street vendors and bicyclists before the event. Supporters of one of the presidential candidates had their own parade after the last official parade participants disappeared down Colorado Boulevard.
And I don’t recall ever seeing in the televised version the pooper scoopers who follow each group of horses. Yet these were some of the most animated and crowd-friendly people in the parade. They waved, danced and took selfies with spectators.
When skywriters filled the sky with political messages, even the marching band at our spot on the parade route turned to look. Some pulled out their phones to snap pictures.
The element of the unexpected was what made the day. It made me think about the practice of PR. What a fascinating way to attract attention and dominate social media.
It’s funny how leisure time can help you think in new ways about your profession and about your work.
That was one of the key points that caught my eye in Laura Vanderdam‘s book, What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend.
She also suggests having 3 to 5 “anchor events” each weekend – a dinner with friends and family, a movie, a bike ride, a trip to a local landmark and so on.
To fuel those events, she advocates making a List of 100 Dreams. The ones within an hour or two of your house can serve as inspiration for weekend planning.
Her idea that you need to plan your weekends as much as you plan your work weeks leads to a lot more fun and enjoyment. And that perspective makes everything in life better, whether it’s personal or professional.
Find Your Adventure was the theme of today’s Rose Parade. What will your adventure be this year?
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