There is a question every adult who has gone on a road trip with a child is familiar with, ‘are we there yet?’ It doesn’t matter whether you just started the journey five minutes ago, this question shall be asked. The child just cannot wait to get to their destination.
When my siblings were younger, this question featured heavily during our trips to Nyarushanje for Christmas. It takes a minimum of seven hours to get to Nyarushanje from Kampala so you can imagine how many times I had to hear it. The question demanded an answer, and that answer was usually never a simple no. I had to explain how far or near we were to Nyarushanje. I explained this by naming the towns we would have to pass before we reached, then they would count them and judge whether they were near or far. As they grew older, the question turned into, ‘where are we?’ By this time they were getting familiar with the order of the towns we passed. If I said we were in Lyantonde for instance, they would mention what towns we were left with, and judge for themselves whether we were near or far from our destination.
I have recently had to set and review goals for my life, and this question came to mind. ‘Am I there yet?’
Where is ‘there’?
But before I could answer this question, another one assailed me: Do I know where ‘there’ is? Sure I have goals in the general sense of the word. But are they specific enough for me to map out my journey? Sadly, at the time the question came up, the answer was no.
This made me think of the time some friends and I kept talking about going on holiday in Kenya. For the longest time, we didn’t make any concrete plans. Part of the reason was because we had not zeroed in on what part of Kenya we were going to visit. Because of this we could not make plans for transport, accommodation, meals and all the other logistics such a trip would entail. We did not have a specific goal. However, once we decided that we were going to Nairobi, our trip became more real and within a month, we had gone on our holiday.
This is where that advice to make specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound (smart) goals comes in handy. My goals are not yet 100 per cent smart but at least I now have a clearer idea of where I am going.
What do I have to go through to get there?
When my friends and I decided we wanted to go to Nairobi, there were several things we had to do or put into consideration. Things like applying for leave from work; researching the best means of transport; accommodation that would allow us to enjoy the city without using too many cabs; what we were going to do while in Nairobi and so on.
It’s the same with my goals. One of my goals was to buy a car. Only one problem –until recently, I did not know how to drive, had no driving permit and had zero interest in changing this. Having realised the foolishness of my ways, I have learnt how to drive and will soon have my permit.
Side note: before you laugh at my foolishness, I have always dreamed of owning a car. In these dreams, the car came with a driver –a girl can dream, right?
Do I have someone to keep asking, ‘are we there yet?’
Have you ever planned a trip somewhere, made all the necessary plans, and then when travel day came along, you are tempted to change your mind? Perhaps the weather is not too nice outside and a small voice points out that staying in and watching movies all weekend is so much better than making the trip. Or you plain just don’t want to go anymore.
I know I have felt like this. What has usually got me moving for the trip is the fact I’ve either told too many people about the trip and cannot tell them I cancelled on a whim without being slightly embarrassed. Also, if like the Nairobi trip, I’m going with a few other people, then my flimsy excuse will not hold. In short, it helps to have someone I am accountable to.
This is why I’m thankful that I have people holding me accountable to the goals I have made. Like the driver in a car with a child asking, “are we there yet?” every so often, this makes me want to get to my goals sooner.