💡The Trip that Could’ve Gotten Me Fired

Jim Wall | The Adventure Chronicles

Jim Wall
February 15, 2023

A covert work trip to Europe taught me how to make the unrealistic possible.

That’s crazy, couldn’t you get fired for that?

My friend’s perfectly reasonable question was further inspiration for me to make Oktoberfest happen.

My boss probably would have discouraged the trip to avoid the precedent it would set for the team, despite thinking it was a fun idea.

I was working as a remote consultant with an 8-6 schedule and limited PTO.

If you’re like me though, sometimes an “oops” is better than a definite “no”, so I relieved my boss of having to make the decision.

So here’s how I turned my last 2 vacation days into 9 days in Europe.

Or as my co-conspirators/travelers Brian and Erin and I called it: Operation Churchill.

Step 1: Be Unrealistic

The mistake I used to make with plans (and life) was to fit everything into a box called “realistic”.

Have you ever heard any of these:

Stop being such a dreamer. Get a real job. Put in your time, then you can have fun. Do you think you’re special or something? Be responsible. That’s not how things are done here.

But then I met people who had amazing relationships, were proud parents, highly successful careers/businesses, and were even more healthy and energetic than me at 29!

What made them different?

They didn’t try to fit their goals into their busy life, they fit their life into their goals.

Simple shift. Big difference.

Do what most go, get what most have. Do what few do, have what few have.

From that inspiration I decided I would fly to London and Munich, find a way to work remotely, and meet some friends at Oktoberfest.

But how would I pull it off?

Step 2: Then, be Realistic

The mistake others make is to have unrealistic goals without making a realistic plan.

Could I get fired for flying to Europe unannounced and working from there?

It was possible.

But something special happens when you commit to a decision before figuring out all the how.

Your energy and focus goes to figuring out the “how” instead of the “if”.

You’re also not limited by what you thought was possible in the past.

The adventure was already committed, so I had fun working through the plan:

Asking the IT department about data security
Booking co-working spaces that looked the same as my regular one (WeWork)
Mapping out all work meetings and projects for the week
Securing an emergency backup co-worker just in case

Step 3: Execute the Mission

In London, I visited the War Rooms Museum, which was a bunker where Winston Churchill and his staff planned their defense of England and during WWII.

There was no discussion of “if”, only a steadfast commitment to “how” they would succeed.

Ok, come on Jim, you might say.

These people were working to save the Free World…

And you’re just trying to drink beer in Munich.

True, however…

There are two options that I see for myself for anything in life: make inspired plans, or make normal plans.

You with me? Then let’s go!

I explored London in the morning, ate lunch, then worked from the co-working office from 1pm to 11pm local time (8am - 6pm work time zone).

In Munich, the plan was more detailed:

7am- Go running

8am - Oktoberfest

1pm - Lunch and espresso

2pm to 11:45pm - Work

Sleep. Repeat.

Step 4: Mission Debriefing

Operation Churchill was a success, but not for the reason I expected.

I had a productive three days of work and no questions were asked of my whereabouts.

But my lesson learned wasn’t about maximizing PTO or traveling more.

I realized that the box of "realistic” is small.

And what’s realistic is determined by other people’s opinions, not our actual potential.

I must start with unrealistic ideas, and then create realistic plans to make them happen.

There will always be “life” things to keep us busy, but they still get done even when we plan it all around our big goals.

And if I ever feel doubtful about my unrealistic plans, I just need to talk with the few, not the many.

The Bottom Line

When we stop fitting our goals into our life, and instead fit life into our goals, we open up possibilities we never saw before.

My challenge for you this week is to answer these questions:

What big plans do I need to prioritize and act on?
How can I be more unrealistic with my vision, and realistic in my execution?
How can I get around more people who inspire me to think this way?

“Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

-Muhammad Ali

Leave your thoughts on Twitter

11pm Thought: We need to start seeing that the constraints we’re in are not limitations to our possibilities, but as the stimuli of our creativity.
If necessity breeds innovation, then the stronger the need, the quicker the innovation.
— Jim Wall (@thejimwall)
4:50 AM • Dec 19, 2022

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If you’re craving an adventure in your own life, be it related to health, career, or relationships, there’s no better time than now to embark. Create an unrealistic goal, and I’ll help you with the realistic plan to get it done —> here.