New Zealand - Achieving our goals
Hi Players,
This trip was in the process of planning for 4 years in a row.
It was booked and canceled, and it was rebooked and canceled again.
The possibility of it happening this time was also near zero.
First, the post-COVID-19 influence made travel impossible.
Then, the horrific events of October 7th, 2023, and their impact on our mood, energy, and lack of flights.
When we were finally on our way to Oakland, New Zealand, I had the time to evaluate what contributed to the “not giving up” idea of traveling half the world with everything still happening.
The experiences in New Zealand have added even more clarity to what it takes to fulfill our goals when the outside world has different plans for us.
Cathedral cove.
This trip was relatively long (almost a month) to justify the long-distance and expensive flights.
It made no sense to fly approximately 24 hours one way without leaving enough time to travel.
We combined a 7-day self-guided trip in the Oakland area with a 13-day cruise starting in Oakland and finishing in Melbourne, Australia, and allowed a few more days in Sydney to spend with family there.
The silver fern.
The Maori symbol of attachment to their homeland. When welcoming others, they put one leave on the ground as a peace offering
We all encounter challenges when trying to achieve our goals.
Statistically, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail until February, so most of us probably have to change our approach to succeed
Here is what I found to be working to achieve my goals when unexpected circumstances occur
Clarity and Specificity
It may seem obvious that our goal should be clear and specific.
I have learned that how we define our goal may have the most significant impact.
We often say, "I want to be happier." This is more of a wish than a goal.
We will unlikely be happier unless we define happiness in actual action.
For me, traveling is a big part of being happy.
If I say, “I wish to travel more,” good luck with that.
But if I say, "I want to travel to ….. next year," or I want to travel for one week every six months, that is the beginning of a plan.
Clarity creates a shorter path to taking action. Wishes are only a nicer way to call something that is actually an “excuse.”
We left no room for ambiguity; a few years back, we decided to travel to New Zealand during summertime, book a cruise, and end up in Australia.
Milford sound. Clear, beautiful waves
A goal is a goal only if it’s clear and specific and drives a series of actions (e.g., deciding on a destination, planning the trip, booking the flights…).
Circumstances should not change or “kill” your goal; they may impact how or when it can be achieved.
It’s your responsibility to revisit it periodically to ensure you explore all options for fulfillment.
I get that it is easier with travel and pleasure …
and yet it is about your attitude; how you do one thing is how we do most things…
A shop in Napier
Our History
We visited Oakland, Wellington, and Napier. Overall, I was not impressed with New Zealand’s cities, some shopping, and restaurants. They are mostly the starting points for seeing the “actual” sites in New Zealand.
With one exception—Napier. I loved it. Napier is famous for its Art Deco style, which transports you back to the 1930s. Wine lovers can enjoy the vast variety of local wine. (not my thing..)
https://www.newzealand.com/int/napier/
It made me think about how our history and experiences can help us achieve our goals.
We have so much knowledge about what helped us in the past and how we dealt with challenges,
but do we make the connections as to how it can help us deal with the current challenges?
We all have deeper roots to rely on…
A magnificent tree in the botanical gardens in Wellington. I was mesmerized by the trees in NZ. This is just one example (All the botanical gardens in NZ were free)
Our history is full of wisdom that can direct our future actions.
When encountering new, unfamiliar terrain, stop to look for similarities to past challenges you overcame and use them to guide you forward.
You don’t have to invent everything from scratch.
Lady Knox gayser
Passion and motivation
If I had to recommend one thing that is a must-see in New Zealand, the Rotorua area.
Rotorua is a popular destination for “Lord of the Rings” fans. Many come to visit Hobbiton, the village featured in the movie.
We decided to skip the Hobbiton (time constraints, a questionable cost-effective entry fee for the “non-fan”) and instead experience the stunning geothermal wonderland views I had experienced the first time. Natural beauty in full scale https://www.waiotapu.co.nz/
We were excited to view Lady Knox Geyser, which can reach heights of 10-20 meters,
but we were pretty disappointed when we discovered that it is induced to erupt daily at 10:15 a.m. by dropping a surfactant into the vent opening.
Really? That felt like a scam…we came to see an actual eruption, not a fake one…
Huka Falls
My disappointment lasted only a few minutes
As we were walking away, I was thinking so what?
Don’t we all need something to “erupt,” passion and motivation?
We can be ‘boiling’ under the surface, dreaming of things, yet we need something extra for our geyser of creation to reach the outside world.
Our goal can be “boiling” under the surface forever,
It may never erupt unless we help it erupt by understanding our drive, the “surfactant,”
which is our passion and our motivation that must be added to achieve success.
Do you know what’s yours?
Maori Experience. I could not take my eyes off their eyes as they performed the famous Haka
Patience
When we arrived in Tauranga, we had a rough beginning.
We had booked a trip to explore the bay wildlife (mainly dolphins), but the ship arrived later than expected, and we were concerned that we would miss our trip.
Thankfully, the provider “Bay Explorer” was very accommodating and came to pick us up from the port, making a special stop just for us.
It was a five-hour cruise, and though the goal was to see dolphins in the wild, our captain cautioned us that the ‘problem’ with wildlife is that it is wild, and one can never promise success.
After almost three hours with no dolphin in sight, I accepted that this time, the result would be Wild Dolphin 1:0 Humans.
I shifted my attention to the sparks of the sun on the water and the gentle wind on my face and prepared myself to enjoy the little joy of “nothingness.”
And then it happened: the Dolphins came. Big time
The Vineyards
The captain and his assistant didn’t give up; they patiently watched with their binoculars to spot any slight movement in the water.
https://bayexplorer.co.nz/
Our little adventure helped us spot Dolphins in the water.
I was sitting on our little balcony while cruising in Marlboro Sounds, and here they were: more dolphins.
My wildlife cup was almost complete.
Patience…Patience… our goal needs time. It will not appear on the first attempt. Sometimes, it’s wild!!
Stability and Flexibility
When I think about stability and flexibility, which may seem like two edges, I think about the balance between the rigid planning of every step and the ability to be entirely flexible while leaving a little tether that grounds us and keeps us focused on our goal.
I truly felt this necessary balance in our trip.
New Zealand is very windy, so we experienced strong winds for a significant part of our cruise.
Since the cruise was not my first rodeo, I knew I had to walk on the deck whenever we were at sea to burn some extra calories (let’s be honest…a lot of walking…)
And keep me active to avoid boredom and restlessness.
Walking while the wind shook the ship and blew in my face (or back, my left, my right) wasn’t easy; I lost balance with every step. I had to change the way I walked constantly to achieve stability.
Let’s face it; there was no strait walking 😊it was more of a dance
I could easily stop walking and wait for better conditions, but that may never happen, so I kept walking, accepting that I may be slower and walk a shorter distance than my intention.
So what? At least I still walked. As long as we keep our promise and do something to achieve our goal, it’s better than
Dunedin views
It made me wonder how often I give up on my goals because they do not go according to my plan or my belief in how they should happen.
The Stability and feasibility balance is about keeping our promise and doing something, even tiny, to achieve our goal.
Things usually don’t happen in linear straight lines but in an awkward dance with the winds around us.
Walking on the deck was an excellent preparation for the winds we faced in Mt. Wellington in Hobart, Tasmania. Beautiful views, crazy winds. Worth visiting
https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/regions/hobart-and-south/mount-wellington/
Mt Wellington, Hobart, Tasamania
Proper preparation
We arrived in Dunedin on the South Island. The weather was not welcoming: gray sky, some rain.
The view on the way to the albatross center was covered in clouds, and I had to imagine its stunning beauty (only for a few hours…)
https://albatross.org.nz/
A view from the Albatross centre
I learned that Albatrosses mate for life. Both the male and female raise the baby.
The baby albatross leaves their home and stays at sea for at least four years before returning home to mate.
What a journey!
They can make it because their body and soul (maybe—who knows? The legend is that they embody the souls of lost sailors) are well prepared for the long journey.
Our goal needs proper preparation and a supporting system to carry the journey's heaviness and hardship.
I was left with a thought: Am I truly prepared to achieve my goals?
Angus in the wild
Commitment
One of the most fascinating facts I learned in New Zealand is about the Kiwi, the country’s national bird. It is strange to call it a bird, as it doesn’t fly. And it is not the only bird that doesn’t fly; there are many others.
It is believed that these birds never developed the ability to fly because they had no land-based predators to escape. They had no reason to fly.
Facing the winds on Mt wellington , Tasmania
Our goal requires commitment as much as the wings needed to fly. You should be committed as if your life depended on it because your goal is worth living for.
Our last stop was Melbourne; I loved the city's vibe and liveliness. We leisurely explored it for a few days before flying to Sydney to spend time with close family.
Melbourne
New Zealand’s islands and stunning views were created through the slow complex movement of tectonic plates, volcanic eruptions, and other geological processes.
Achieving your goals is never easy, yet if you feel the gentle boiling within, it is an excellent start. Maybe it is just one step away from a beautiful eruption.
Visiting New Zealand. Check✅
It’s time to move to the next Goal. (Already booked😊)🛫
Playfully yours
Rina😊
