The beauty of any plan is that once you’ve made it, it looks perfect. (Especially when it’s your own.) When you make your own travel plans, it is easy to assume that everything will work smoothly. It is easy to assume that you’ve thought of everything, that you’re allowing enough time for every activity, and that your transitions between places will be smooth. However, the truth is that you can stare at a plan for a long time and not realize that there are major problems with it. This is because the plan makes sense to you.
The plan looks right because you’re used to seeing it, and you know what you meant when you made it. But often, that is not the reality of what you actually created. In order to catch these kinds of problems, it is essential to get feedback from other people. Feedback is a powerful tool that can help you improve your travel plans. If you use it well, it can show you what you cannot see yourself. Here are five steps to getting useful feedback on your travel plans:
1. Start with just one day. When you ask someone to give you feedback on a long itinerary, it can be overwhelming. You’re more likely to get a response like, “Looks great to me! ” than something that will actually help you. Instead, start with just one day. Give the reviewer just one day of your itinerary and ask them to take a look. This will help you get more focused feedback and will make it easier for you to incorporate the feedback into your plans. It will also help you isolate any problems.
2. Ask a specific question. Often, when we ask for feedback, we ask a question that is too general. “What do you think of my itinerary? ” “Does this look good to you? ” “Do you see any problems with this plan? ” These are all questions that are likely to get a positive response, but not necessarily a helpful one. Instead, ask a more specific question. “Do you think I have enough time to get from X to Y? ” “Do you think I’m trying to fit too much into this day? ” “Do you think I should be concerned about the weather during this part of the trip? ” This will help you get a more specific answer and will encourage the reviewer to really think about your itinerary.
3. Don’t necessarily accept every piece of feedback. Just because someone has suggested a change to your itinerary doesn’t mean that you have to make that change. In fact, some feedback may make your itinerary worse, not better. Before you make a change based on someone else’s feedback, ask yourself if it will really improve your itinerary. Does it help you meet your goals for the trip? Does it make your itinerary more efficient? Does it reduce your stress levels? If the answer is no, then you should ignore the feedback.
4. If you get the same feedback from multiple sources, pay attention. Sometimes, a single piece of feedback can be a red herring. However, if you get the same feedback from multiple people, it is likely that there is really a problem. Don’t ignore this kind of feedback. Instead, make the suggested change. You’re better off being safe than sorry.
5. Use feedback as a tool for improvement. Finally, it is essential to remember that feedback is a tool for improvement. It is not meant to criticize or tear you down. It is meant to help you make a better itinerary and have a better trip. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and don’t be discouraged if you get suggestions for improvement. Instead, use the feedback to improve your itinerary and know that you’ve made it better because of the input of others.
This will help you develop a thick skin and make you more receptive to feedback in the future. I have found that it helps to actually schedule time to incorporate feedback. I like to go back to a single day or a single activity every week or so in order to tweak the plan and see if it needs to change. Sometimes, I realize that I’ve made a mistake or that I need to allow more time for something.
It only takes about 15 minutes in order to do this. 15 minutes every week or so in order to improve my itinerary. That’s not a lot of time and effort. The truth is that it is easy to get feedback on your travel plans. It is easy to improve them and make them better. All it takes is a little bit of time and a willingness to listen to others.