Ever want to do something and want so bad for it to come out right? For me, that is vacation planning. Usually, I have no trouble finding a place I want to go but sometimes my dreams and my budget don’t exactly jive. I have thousands of places I want to go see. Ok, maybe not thousands, but a heck of a lot anyway. And, usually, things always seem to come together.

For some unknown reason, this year my vacation planning is still not done. Hoping to get away somewhere in December but not much has gone right. I waited too late for this place and this flight so the price went up or I read some more reviews and decided it wasn’t the right spot. Today was the day I was going to get it done. But it didn’t work out right yet. I am still attempting to get everything booked correctly. Don’t hire me as your travel agent unless you have an unlimited budget. I seem to be good with those.

You know what comes next. Frustration. It starts to build slowly and then it takes over your whole mind and body. At that point, not much ever gets done. You have all of these terrible emotions and the nagging question, “Why can’t I do this?” But yet you battle on. No, you do not achieve anything when you are fighting frustration. That’s the problem I faced.

How to combat frustration. I did learn a trick or two. Just leave it all and go somewhere else for a break. Take a few minutes and think about nothing. Whatever you do, don’t think about your problem. Your mind needs to rest.  Then try bouncing your ideas off a friend or coworker. Yes, if there is one around. Sometimes there’s not. Then, and this doesn’t make you crazy, but talk it out to yourself. I don’t know why it works but it does.

Pray. Yes, you can always ask God for help. He is always there. And He is a good listener. So bounce your ideas and thoughts off HIm. God cares about every part of your life. He cares when you are frustrated. He cares when you are down. Just talk to HIm.

Now that your energy and strength have been renewed, it’s time to get back to work. Say another prayer as you start to type on your computer or start back the copier. Be patient. Try it again. And so I will start again tomorrow on my quest for the perfect-for-me vacation.