Yep, that’s the title of my first-ever, world-premiere entry to my brand spankin’ new blog, The Scruffy Traveler. I’m sure some can relate to that particular brand of motivation. Others, maybe not so much. But more than anyone else, this blog post is written for the one person I know who has always needed a kick in the pants. Me.
A Brief History of Pants Kicking
Before this blog post, it was a poster taped to the ceiling of my bedroom that read “If you were 99 years old on your deathbed and had a chance to come back to right now, what would you do?” Before that, it was the financial threat of student loans looming over my shoulders should I start to slack at school or work. And before that, it was the classic fear of disappointing my parents and having my young adult privileges revoked (read: video games).
Fear, the threat of financial ruin, “motivational slogans” evoking an existential case of FOMO…I’ve tried using all of these things and more to solve my procrastination problem, with mixed results. By now (age 29), I’m pretty sure it’s not going away. We all have unfortunate character flaws and this is just one of mine. What I can do, however, is structure my life in a way that manages and limits my tendency to procrastinate, as well as develop personal Standard Operating Procedures for when I inevitably fall back on old habits – just to make sure things don’t get too out of hand.
My Digital “Poster on the Ceiling”
That’s what this post is – one small bullet in my arsenal of anti-procrastination techniques that I surround myself with. A constant reminder at the end of my blog queue to get my butt moving and do something, anything healthy or productive. A tiny dose of motivation for those days when my brain convinces me my bed would make a great work station, or that I need to watch Ted Lasso a third time to fully appreciate the details. Even if it works 1% of the time, I’ll call that a success.
The Scruffy Traveler
I’m not sure what exactly this blog will look like. As the name suggests, I’ll probably talk your ear off about travel and the merits (and several acknowledged drawbacks) of not shaving frequently. But more than that I plan to speak about my life, my successes and failures, and push myself (and hopefully you) to think and live more bravely and adventurously in a world where fear and procrastination so often hold us back.
No matter what direction things go, I promise to write with authenticity and realness – about who I am, about the places I go, and about the world we live in. Hopefully, together, we can strive to be a little wiser, a little kinder, a little bit more daring and a lot more happy or content (whichever suits you). Cheers!
The Scruffy Traveler 