Ahh.. new years. Opportunities to reset, start anew. Like most everyone else on the planet who recognizes this particular arbitrary date on this particular calendar, we too are looking ahead.
We thought we’d share some of our intentions going forward in our travels, business life and personal life (including blogging). Some might call these resolutions, but that sounds way too formal for us.
More Work, Less Play – More Play, Less Work
We have not set a good track record with this whole work/life balance thing. In 2013, we intended to go into a bit of a sabbatical. That lasted just a few weeks before we got enamored with the next big thing.
The start of 2016 is the first new year in a while where we’re not working on some big secret project in the background, on top of our normal workload. (Seriously, we have nothing up our sleeves!).
RVillage is launched, steadily growing and soon will pass 40,000 members who are meeting up across the country. Xscapers is launched and building amazing momentum. We’re extremely proud to have been involved with two such amazing and community changing projects, and they will always hold a big place in our hearts.
But we had to make the hard decision during our hiatus to resist the pull of being involved as staff. As much as we want to, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. We endeavor to be active community members of course.
RVMobileInternet.com will be our professional focus for a while, with our mobile apps continuing to be a side hobby. Now that we are running just our own projects, we’re flabbergasted at how we did it. Just where did those extra hours come from?
Our intention in 2016 is to play more. Explore the places we visit. Less just being content working while enjoying the view. Less being too exhausted to meet up with people.
It’s probably not ideal to start this intention off with The Mobile Internet Handbook being due for a refresh for 2016. So, we’ll be buckling down this month to re-write the book. But then.. yes.. then… we’ll have free time? Yes. Please?
At least now, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
No Plans. No Commitments.
One of our big feelings of overwhelm recently was feeling pressure to commit to locations and dates for 2016. When it came time to finalize our presentations for Escapade in Vermont this summer, we hit a brick wall. That would mean routing our entire year around that event.
And while we’re not at all opposed to exploring the northeast this summer (we probably might anyway) and nor are we opposed to speaking at events – we just don’t want to commit. To anything.
We want an open schedule, to go where our desires, whims and serendipity take us. We’re just not cut out for following RV shows & event schedules – and we designed our lives so we don’t need to. Our primary sharing is online, via written word and video, that we can do on our schedule and people can consume on theirs.
Part of our pulling back from outside projects was to get rid of obligations. While our commitments in Albuquerque last year were great for putting the pressure on, trying to make it after the bus renovations went off schedule was also a huge stressor. We can’t repeat that. We need more flexibility when life tosses us curve balls.
We intend to continue resisting urges to make ‘plans’. (But, more than likely you will find us heading east this spring towards Florida.. we’re craving time with family.)
Sharing When & What We Feel Like Sharing
We were invited to help launch these big projects precisely because we were established RVing social media folks and have lots of professional software, community building & strategy experience. It’s truly an honor to be asked.
And while neither job description included using our social media presence as part of the marketing – we held ourselves to a standard of keeping our social media and personal presence vibrant while building these projects.
Blogging slowly slipped into something that felt more like a chore than a choice. And we started to feel like unofficial spokespeople for the projects we helped build. The pressure to be ‘on’ more often than we would choose otherwise became heavy.
It’s not like we weren’t authentically us the entire time. We do strive to keep it real here.
But if we weren’t up to writing a post this week, it felt like we should anyway. And we felt we had to attend every major meet up we could manage in our travels to make connections and keep a presence – which is tough for us introverts.
So in 2016 – we’re sticking to our guns on keeping Technomadia our personal space. What we share here will always be because it’s what we want to share. When we show up at an event, it’s because it’s where we want to be.
While yes, we also have our own related products, our goal is to integrate our work projects as just part of our day-to-day life we talk about. Us self employed folks often have intentionally blurry lines between business and personal.
As far as other venues – like our live video chats, videos on YouTube and other social media. We’re taking those on an ‘as inspired’ basis (by the way, we’ve rescheduled our ‘Free & Cheap RV Camping‘ live video cast for next Monday evening.).
You, our readers & viewers, probably won’t notice much of a difference besides perhaps our posting being more sporadic. It’s the permission behind the scenes that will be a subtle shift for us.
So, that’s our look ahead for 2016.
We hope in this new year you bring a lot of your own intentions to fruition – whether that be gearing up to hit the road yourself, making major life changes or continuing to refine your own happiness quotient!
Now you’re back on track!!
Looking forward to what 2016 brings the two of you and I’m so glad you are continuing to educate us and sharing your adventures with us. 🙂
So glad to see you back!
Thank you so much for providing the best technical information on the Internet for RVers. You are greatly appreciated! I also enjoy watching your videos; great content and an adorable couple doing their thing, just LOVE it! Reminds me a little of me and the old man in younger days… Hope to meet you ‘out there’ some time (going full time in March), have a wonderful 2016 🙂
Happy New Year!! Cheers to less must do’s. May this year give you many more opportunities to simply hang out wherever and enjoy whatever comes along. We’re headed to Arizona next month and are looking forward to doing just that. Hope to have the connectivity tomorrow to join your next Live Video Chat!!
Happy New Year !! Glad you’re back. We promise not to “expect” anything, but just say thanks for sharing.
It sounds like you’ve recommitted to the reasons you chose a life on the road in the first place….freedom, adventure, spaciousness in your days to enjoy the beauty around you, and time with each other, family and friends….
Here’s to a life of balance in 2016! (I set this same intention. :-))
Happy new year to both of you!
Glad to see you back online with more interesting post of what you’re up to.
I think 2016 will finally be the year for us to go full time and we are starting initial plans with a visit to Quartzsite shortly. Hopefully we will run into you there so we can say hi and extend our appreciation for all the help and learning you have given people like us to make the leap into RV life.
Wishing you all the best in 2016 and beyond!
Thanks for the inspiration! Best wishes that 2016 will be all that you want it to be.
The two of you doing what you want to do when you want to do it–sounds like the best kind of plan.
The art of saying No is one that is difficult to master – I wish you strength to keep to your good intentions in 2016.
It sounds like you have a great “plan” (or a “not a plan”). So looking forward to more of your life tales this year and honestly I could see where committing to engagements all the sudden turns into living your life to get there. If you land somewhere and want to share – do it, otherwise just enjoy the view! We’ve missed you but sure are glad you got to have some time away to recharge and have decided life is too short to go charging back into everything full steam.
Thank you so much.. your words are always full of elegant wisdom and reflection back, and we really appreciate having you along for the journey!
The hardest lesson in life is to learn to say no and not feel guilty or bad. I’m glad you have figure things out. Looks like 2016 will be more relaxed and more fun time. Enjoy and I look forward to reading about all the exciting and fun things you do.
Not sure we have it all figured out, but certainly are putting some good intentions out there to give it our best shot 😉
Happy New Year Cherie and Chris and congrats on your decision to put yourselves first. I rarely comment, but wanted to let you know how much I enjoy and appreciate the information you share on your website. I’m sure I am just one of many frequent followers who have been inspired by your journey and have charted our own course to take us to some amazing places that we first read about on your blog. Thank you so much for sharing. Finding a work/life balance is challenging, but so worth it. I look forward to following your adventures whenever you choose to share. Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2016. Safe travels
Thanks so much for taking a moment to comment, it’s always wonderful to hear! Best wishes in the new year.
After a year-and-a-half of living full time in our Class A, I’m finally starting to relax. Our intentional-for-us schedule finally makes sense to me. Your example encourages us. I’m now taking a close look at SoMe, to spend more time IRL vs. online. Measured, intentional tweets and perhaps Instagram, and only a little time on FB and RVillage. We are making readjustments for us, and are glad to see we’re not alone.
More energy and time for in person hanging out is high on our list. There’s so many awesome folks out there these days.. and really hope our paths cross one day.
Good for you. Finding the perfect balance in our lives is and will always be a challenge. We appreciate your blogs, we do not expect them. David and I have learned so much from you & Chris which has inspired us so that we bought our new home on wheels and are putting our house up for sale this spring. So a huge THANKS.
Super congrats on such a big milestone to hitting the road!
Glad to hear about your readjustments. It’s something we all need to do all the time. Life is to be enjoyed.
And a new year seems to be a good time to set those intentions.
I think many of us choose a nomadic lifestyle specifically for the spontaneity, but the reality is that you have to guard against all those “plans” that constantly creep around. Sometimes it’s ok to plan ahead and sometimes I think we need it, but in the short time I’ve been nomadic, I have found myself stressed too many times over having to be somewhere by a certain date. Sometimes it’s others putting the pressure on, sometimes we have ourselves to blame. I am joining you with my intention to play/explore more and work/schedule less. Here’s to a wonderful 2016!
Plans do tend to creep in. Some of our most stressful (and scary) points have come about when trying to stick to a scheduled engagement. I now tend to get into a sort of panic attack when too many things are on our calendar. I’m positive that it contributed to our meltdown in November… both having just come off a biggie, and pressure to commit in 2016.
It’s a careful tread to balance. After all, some things do require planning in advance if you want to do them. And obviously, event planners can’t just trust attendees & speakers will show up. They have details, deposits and planning to do.
Good for you! When I turned 50 I looked in the mirror and told myself: the first 50 years was for everyone else but the nect 50 are for me. It was liberating… Sounds like you are doing it at 40!
Well.. 40 and some change 😉
Can’t say we’ll be all about us, but for sure we’re shifting our focus to be working for ourselves while still serving our community.
I did not mean to imply it is all about ne but I was now ( actually then)going to make myself important and pay attention to my needs..
We will continue to read, buy, study, listen to and learn from everything you have and will produce. Thanks for helping us plan our getaway this year.
Thank you.. we so appreciate the appreciation 🙂
Thanks for the update. Do it your way is the only way to do things. Saying no can be hard. But if you said yes too much then others would control your schedules more than you. Love the website content and videos. I am going to use a lot of the info learned from them as I begin my fulltime trek in 2016
We hope to find a balance that is on our own terms, that still helps those seeking the perspective we can share.
Thank you for your posts and valuable info. I appreciate your blog! The best of luck and happiness in 2016!
All the best,
Lindy
Congratulations on your intentions and your return to your loyal loving followers! Saying no is hard to do at a times but can be so empowering. No plans or at least minimal planning is the best for your peace of mind. Good luck in the new year and do so hope to run into you and Chris!
I do hope our paths intersect again this winter! Hope you’re having a wonderful adventure.
Work life Ballance? What’s that? Good for you, I’m hoping to do the same.
Way to go! Do it your way. Enjoy life and each other and the places you visit. Any other way you might as well work from an office and punch a clock.
As always, eloquent and right on point! We hope to be able to take your lead and stick to a better LIFE/work balance this year as well!
Hey.. if we continue stalking.. err.. following each other, we can help encourage each other to get off our behinds and out playing more often 🙂
Tell Chris I’ll try to help with his guitar playing too 🙂
LOVE the new intentions! Yeah!
Nina
Now.. to stick to them 😉
Good for you. Realizing you don’t need to be “on” all the time is very freeing. That said, I’m so glad you did do all that writing the past couple of years. I am transitioning to full time RV life this year and have been doing extensive research. Your blog was one of the first ones I bookmarked. Thank you for the brilliant information and encouragement you offer.Safe journeys to you both.
We do love the writing and sharing… and so glad it’s appreciated and helping others. Hopefully we can continue to do that while still feeling like we’re doing it on our own terms.
Glad you guys are back. It sounds like you have a great 2016 plan. I just retired last year and I can tell you that towards the end of your days, no one ever says, “I wish I had worked more.” Enjoy your time.
Absolutely.. one of the biggest lessons for any of us to learn.
Glad you are back! Unscheduled or infrequent posts are much better than none at all. Always looking forward to your posts. Thanks for continuing them.
We can’t see NOT sharing, it’s just too much a part of who we are. But not holding ourselves up to trying to ‘grow the blog’ by being consistent will be very freeing for us.
No commitments. No plans. Sounds like a plan to me. Hope you stick to it. Enjoy life it is way too short
Hmm.. does planning to have no plans qualify as not planning? Oh, the conundrum! 🙂
Being able to say no can be an amazing experience. You two do so much for the RVing community and command such respect that it is no wonder that when someone needs a speaker, spokesperson, or presence that they want you for the job. (Since it is all about me 🙂 I am glad that you are continuing with Technomadia.) As to your travels, we love Maine coast, the Northeast, Washington D.C. but we don’t RV there. For those trips we either, drive direct or fly. Perhaps Vermont would fly you in to speak. That way you wouldn’t have to focus your summer in traveling to the Northeast. Best of luck and keep on rolling.
Yes.. saying NO is the lesson we are needing to learn. Sticking to our priorities.
Considering hardly any RV event/shows pays for presenters (it’s all for ‘exposure’, so thus most speakers have a business angle) – we doubt any of them would be willing to fly out anyone but the headline speakers. And when it comes down to it, when we look at the time/effort to get there to speak to just a couple hundred folks – we could make dozens of videos and posts in that same time that speak to far more.
So, while it is flattering to be asked.. it’s just not our thing. We’re not out here for any other reason than our own joy 🙂
It is so great to have you guys back! If or when you get up to the North East, please keep us in mind.. The Catamaran trip to Martha’s Vineyard still stands 🙂
We have your invitation saved 🙂 It sounds absolutely lovely!!!