The chill of winter has definitely made its presence known here in the DMV. Minnesotans may laugh at this, but we’ve had high temperatures hovering around the freezing mark. I grew up in a cold winter climate, but that doesn’t mean I ever liked it. Take me back to Tahiti! I’d even settle for a balmy 50-degree location right about now.

The good news is that all this cold weather has been conducive for some hunkering down at the computer inside where it’s warm. Hot coffee in hand, I have been getting up between 5 and 5:30 to get started with my days.

This past week has brought a triple dose of power in my corner with the addition of two accountability groups and a last minute decision to sign up for the Leap Year coaching program from the previous week’s Awaken Your Inner Entrepreneur Challenge.

I’d previously decided not to spend any more money and time on yet another training or “intake” without action but after some personal correspondence between me and the coaching program’s creator, I felt that the focus and direction that the program would provide would be worthwhile after all.

I had already gained some momentum after launching my survey questionnaire about travel barriers and styles, and have been making a lot of progress with the interviews. I’ve learned a lot from just a handful of respondents and the best part is that I’ve had a chance to talk with people I know from all walks of my life. It’s been so much fun!

Meanwhile I’m still trying to keep up on here to strengthen my writing muscles. I have had a love/hate relationship with blogging because it is time-consuming and in order to do it successfully requires a lot of things that don’t sit well with me (I’m looking at you, SEO!). So I’m doing things my own way for now until I can find a manageable pace that will allow me to take it to the next level if that’s the direction that seems most appropriate.

I’m also trying to finish a long-standing draft about my visits to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona in October and the tiny town of Burdett, Kansas in December. That post will hopefully be available soon on my GeODDgraphy website. I’ll share a link when it’s ready.

Accountability

Masterminds and accountability groups are all the rage these days with entrepreneurs. There’s a good reason why: they work! Of course, you have to put in the effort, but if you’re willing to persevere, a group of people who can help keep you on track may be just the motivation you need to push through those doldrums of slow progress that might otherwise stop dead in their tracks.

I am now part of three groups: one that was borne from my adventure in Mexico last year, and the two new ones. Of the latest pair, one was directly from the Awaken Your Inner Entrepreneur Challenge and we’ve only met once so far, but I feel confident that it will keep us on track. The organizer is clearly skilled in summarizing peoples’ goals and putting the whole thing together. We’re also all in similar boats.

The other group was also formed as a result of the Challenge, but the members are mostly from the Puttytribe, which is a community I’m part of that has to do with multipotentiality. Not only is this group in a somewhat similar beginning stage of their entrepreneurial journeys, they’re “multipods” or people who like to do a lot of different things instead of specializing in just one.

That group is on Slack, which is the first time I’ve used it. It’s kind of like a blend between a chat function and social media where you can post threads in various different channels with dedicated themes. For example, there are #wins and #struggles, and members can post stuff there and get feedback to help them move forward. Sometimes it’s just helpful to realize that others are experiencing the same struggles you are. Collectively the potential to rise from common burdens and joys is much higher in this setting.

All of this may seem mind-numbingly boring for a blog about travel, but I want to be brutally honest here about what I’m trying to do. The ultimate goal is definitely more travel, and I’m trying to create the life that will allow that. I have no interest in being an “influencer” but even those people have to make a living and there’s always work somewhere behind the scenes. I also have a not-so-secret wish to bring the power of this to you. I want everyone reading this to be more fulfilled in their lives and realize that is an attainable option.

I may not be going on any major trips in the next few months, but I will start looking at plane tickets for the upcoming events in the spring. I already have my tickets to New Orleans for TravelCon in May. Now I need to plan our trip back to Portland for World Domination Summit in June and squeeze in a trip to Kansas to visit my mom, hopefully for her birthday in March. I do plan on posting a summary of our trip to French Polynesia last month. Eventually.

I’ll be working on my coaching course homework and scheduling more survey interviews. My hope is that I will have something to offer everyone that will be useful and help solve problems.

The sun has risen and there’s a pink line along the horizon. Frost on the rooftops will melt as the day warms up to 40. It’s 16 now and I’m content to be right here where it’s cozy and warm.