Innovators, You will Feel Terror – We Do
Over the weekend we had an amazing conversation catching up with our teammate from the Mongol Rally Sherry Ott of Ottsworld. I don’t think anyone could know us as well as she does now that we spent a good 8 weeks together over the summer. Between our 8 days in London, 5 weeks on the road and another week after the rally, we really became like a family.
I can always open up to her and as she was congratulating us on all our success we have had since returning, I told her about my fears. The conversation echoed the same one I had the night before with my mom and Dave had with his dad.
Sherry, Dave and Deb: Final Day of Mongol Rally
Dave and I both have a difficult time smelling the roses. We spend our time working on how we can make things better and how we can keep pushing forward. Both my mom and Sherry said that they wish I could see myself through their eyes and just take a moment to enjoy everything that is happening.
Dave’s dad said to him “Gee, you two are never satisfied are you?”
It made us both stop to take a breath.
Our Life
We have fulfilled every dream we could ever imagine this year. We are doing the job that we love. We write, we travel, we take photographs and videos and we get to be together every day of our lives. I know some people find that odd, but we have been searching for ways to work together since we met 20 years ago. Now we are doing it!
We are on TV!
It was always our dream to be on TV. Dave wanted to be a part of a famous rock band and be interviewed for his latest album and I wanted to be a triple threat (Singer, Actor Dancer) like Bernadette Peters or Mandy Patenkin. (Yes, I’m dating myself) I daydreamed about being interviewed on David Lettermen and I even had fears in my day dreams. What if he said a word that I didn’t understand in one of his interview questions and I didn’t know what he was talking about. Yes, even my daydreams were neurotic.
Now we are being interviewed weekly about our latest passion. Travel. How cool is that?
You would think that we would be on cloud 9. Instead, after each segment, we spend the drive home picking ourselves apart wondering if we stuttered or if we made any sense. We talk about how we “should have said this”, or “should have said that” instead of just patting ourselves on the back and saying, Good Job Honey.
We call Dave’s parents on the drive home and breathe a sigh of relief when they tell us we did a good job and then by the time we get home, we give it a watch online and say, “Hey That wasn’t so bad!”
Then the stress starts all over again….
What are we going to talk about next week, how did the producers like it? Are Dan and Jaqueline interested in what we have to say? Oh no, we need a segment idea for next week, what are we going to talk about? And will the director approve of the subject. We give ourselves about 10 minutes of being content before starting to agonize all over again.
Success
In the eyes of the travel blogging world, we are a success. We have two amazing partnerships with two companies that we respect and products that we love using. We consider both companies that we are working with good friends too. Even when the business relationship ends, we know that we will always be in touch.
Great Sponsors
But we still put pressure on ourselves when doing any work for them. We want to give them the best of what we got.
Even when they tell us they are thrilled and that we are doing a great job, we still worry and wonder if we are getting enough hits on our website for them. Are people engaging in the conversation enough, are we giving our sponsors enough exposure on our blog, on other blogs and on TV. What happens if we do something wrong?
The Need For Perfection is Consuming
Many people use the phrase, “People call me a perfectionist.” I used to laugh and think, How can that be a fault? Now as I grow older, I understand that it is completely a fault. We are perfectionists to a fault.
We have been having the most amazing things happen to us and instead of focusing on how great things are going, we focus on what we may have done wrong to jeopardize things. Was my tweet announcing our partnership too forward? Did I forget to include the link to their product? Am I sharing too much? Am I sharing enough? My head could spin with all the thoughts going on.
And then Sherry sent me this…
It is good to know that even the most successful of people out there have doubts. We have doubts every day and we now know it is ok. We just have to learn to accept the fear and terror that we feel every day. We are learning to control our anxiety and we are aware that we have to enjoy the moment.
Embrace the Fear, Enjoy the Moment
So now as the holidays approach, we are enjoying the moment. We are enjoying the fact that we are on TV, we are enjoying the fact that we are going to Cairo next week and Antarctica in January and already have five other amazing trips lined up after that! We are enjoying that we are working withIntrepid Travel in 2012 and that we are continuing our work with American Express Canada. We are excited to watch our partnership flourish and grow with Travel and Escape and we are thrilled to be working with our sponsors Rudy Project, Olympus Cameras and F-Stop Gear.
Our Travel and Escape Bio
Our Bio on Travel and Escape
Will we fret and worry about everything that is happening? You bet we will. But will we stop to raise a glass to toast our success and hard work over the past 2 years that is finally paying off? You bet we will.
We will embrace the fear and enjoy them moment and make 2012 the best year ever. Because you know what? Every year in life should be the best year ever and we should all strive to work towards that goal.
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Great post. I honestly couldn’t have read it at a better time. What you wrote is exactly what I also have been going through. We’ve been so lucky with our sponsorships but what you don’t understand until you’re in it is the stress that it creates. I’ve been sick 3 times on this trip and I think at least it’s partly due to stress. I feel like we’ve worked for almost 3 months straight without a day off – yet somehow I feel further and further behind and like a fraud. A fraud because I don’t have time to edit photos and get out the work that I want to do. A fraud because I can’t enjoy the life that I worked so hard to create.
Just yesterday I told Randy that something had to give – I wanted this life so I could enjoy yet it’s become stressful & exhausting. But it’s awesome. I have to sit back and tell myself over and over and over again to appreciate every moment because it’s unreal that it’s come this far. I think maybe I have to learn to love the fear as well since it’s definitely there and not going anywhere for a while. It’s a goal of mine for 2012 to embrace each moment and not stress as much.
Very few people understand this because most of my friends and family think ‘whatever, you travel the world and shoot photos – tough life!’. Yah it is totally awesome but when you work 12-14 hours a day you start to lose sight of what got you to this place to begin with and all you see are emails to be answered, obligations to be filled and pastries to be eaten. hahaha…
We’ve recently decided to hire someone to help with the small stuff so we can focus on the projects that we love – photography, writing and growing the site.
Anyway – great post – very timely for what I’ve been going through and it’s so nice to know it’s not just me. As a side note – Edward Norton sounds like Rachel Zoe!
We are so alike!! Craig and I are like this all the time as well. Always thinking how can we do better, and we are not doing enough.
It is so hard when it is your baby and you have invested everything into it. You believe in it so much and you just want it to be the best thing ever. As with all things, our blogs/ business just need time to blossom and grow. It has to progress through various stages as it learns and gathers the momentum. Nothing can ever be perfect because it can’t grow if it is.
You guys are so amazing. You have so so much to celebrate and are such an inspiration to many people. Enjoy every step because you deserve it. You have worked so hard for it.
Great post. I feel the same way. I recently needed to give some stats from my Africa trip and went into panic mode, thinking that it wasn’t enough and I may have wrecked a potential partnership. I LOVE doing the trips, but I do get a little stressed when I’m not able to give as much coverage as I think I should be etc. At the moment I am trying to focus on my plans for 2012 and looking into how I can build more partnerships while I’m in Canada and have the ability to meet people in person. I have a ‘perfectionist’ side which makes me question everything and worry about whether I am doing the right things.
You guys are doing a great job. Seriously. I know it’s hard to see that from where you’re sitting. You’ve worked hard and it is definitely helping, a lot. In some ways I’m jealous that you guys have each other (I know that sounds wrong, bare with me). As a solo blogger everything depends on me and only me. That freaks the shit out of me.
I’m looking forward to reading your adventures in the next year. I love that both you and Dave are so friendly and open. You guys rock. I’m serious. Love you both.
Hi Pam, thanks for commenting. I think that many of us are perfectionists and on one hand it makes us successful and committed, on the other hand it can eat us up inside as we always strive for more. I do agree with you, we always say that we are lucky we are not doing this alone. I admire and respect all of you out there that blog alone, I have no idea how you can do it. I would spend my time questioning everything that I do. Having Dave allows me to discuss my fears, my excitement, my dreams and my accomplishments in a safe environment. It is difficult to complain out there on the Internet, but fine to do it with your loved one. If I were alone, I think that I might be one of those people that say just a little too much online:) Love you too and very much looking forward to going on our Niagara adventure in January.
This was the best post I have read in a long time by anyone! Thanks so much for posting it. I think it applies to anyone who is starting or working on anything… even for people who are taking on a new travel experience feel this way.
I remember 20 years ago when I learned to scuba dive, I was terrified, I was only doing it because my dad and sister were so excited about doing it and they wanted me to do it to. So I did it, scared to death, and kept moving forward until I got used to that sensation of fear and excitement and “I don’t know what I am doing!”
After a while, while the fear was there still, I got used to it and I became an experienced diver and really enjoyed it! I ended up with over 300 dives before I stopped diving (I married a land lover! lol).
Speaking of my “landlover”, When we got married we set our motto for our lives and business – it’s “Live for today and plan for tomorrow” We try to stop to smell the roses whenever we can…it brings us back to reality and allows us to actually enjoy what we are working on!
Keep up the amazing work! but stop and enjoy it it – in fact when you feel that flurry of frustration and “are we doing this right” or whatever it is – stop and remind each other to enjoy this moment!
Wow! Thank you Melanie, that means a lot to me. I agree, I don’t think that this post is about Travel Bloggers alone, I think that it is for anyone working towards building a business. I hear you about scuba diving. I felt the same way. You and Warren are definitely living life properly, you’re both successful and happy and that is inspiring. You inspired me so much when we visited with you and I took a lot away from our talks. Thank you for reminding us as well. We are going to make sure to stop and enjoy the ride. I do know though that we will always be striving for more and will never stop wanting more out of life. It’s our personalities and no matter where we end up, we will always look to be challenged and excited.
There’s always a bar. A goal. A point off in the distance that we pick that – on reaching it – will surely be THE point upon which we’ll have attained official “success”, and will be happy.
Only when we get to that point, it looks pretty much the same. Except NOW we realize there’s a new goal, a new bar to reach that is the REAL ticket to success and happiness.
And so we continue on this track, with our heads down and deep in concentration, oblivious to the fact that we are indeed “living the life” we had once dreamed of, but somehow aren’t appreciating it for the grass that looks a little greener just out of reach.
Good for you for hopping off this treadmill and taking the time to celebrate your success and enjoy the fruits of your labour. This is a state of mind is actually a harbinger of happiness and the energy to get out there and attain bigger and better things! Just without the negative pressure.
So well said Nora. I can’t tell you how many times we have gone “Oh, we’ll feel so good when we reach this or attain that” and then once we do, it feels like you said “pretty much the same.” It’s not that we are mundane about things, we are just ready for it by the time it happens. We have worked hard to attain something and when we do, it feels natural that it should happen. And yes, I always think about a day that I was riding a bus in Laos in 2004. I was dreading going back to work in Film, I couldn’t face the hours. I was nearly in tears trying to think on how I could make this moment last and keep the travels going indefinitely. I was willing to do anything to live my dream. It took a few more years to make it happen, but we are finally living our dream and we do have to remember that we are exactly where we want to be. Thanks for you comment and I agree, if we can keep the worry and fear under control, it is a good state of mind to attain better things. We just have to keep reminding ourselves to enjoy and embrace the moment.
Okay so I was constructing this long comment in my head as I was reading this post about how much I agree with you and then I got to, “We’re going to Antarctica in January.” Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh talk about dream come true! AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
Haha, thanks Andi. yes, we are going to Antarctica January 29 with Quark Expeditions. It is a dream come true and we are thrilled. We were just talking with a friend of ourse a few weeks ago about how it’ll be years until we’ll be able to go to Antarctica and he is one of those people that is a great success and I think it is because he is so positive and optimistic. He said to us, just put it out there, if you really want to go, I’m sure you’ll find a way or it will find you. And it did! We thank him for putting it out there, because then we did.
Great post, I think it’s normal and essential to feel worried about our future success. Personally I’m much more productive under stress
You have great ideas and initiatives, you have fulfilled your dreams thanks to hard work so you deserve everything you have. Keep up the good work and keep inspiring us 
I have to agree, I am more productive as well when there is more pressure. I can get a lot of work done when under the gun. Thank you for inspiring us as well and for the encouragement.
I remember a year ago Sherry and I had a chat about this very topic… She was saying how insecure she felt about her blog and I was saying that I looked up to her and her blog as an inspiration. We both commented on how you two have been blogging/travelling/life inspirations to both of us.
Moral being, no matter how insecure you are about what you put out there, someone is always looking up to you and wishing they had what you have.
I think it’s totally normal, when you run your own business, doing something you love, you want to give it your heart and soul; to always be giving a little bit more and working a little bit harder. It’s important to remember the whole reason you started down this path though – to do something you love! Don’t end up stressing and worrying to the point of losing your passion for what you do. Smell those roses guys and keep doing what you do, because you have a huge audience out here who loves every minute of it
Isn’t it amazing how life all comes together. A year ago we didn’t know you and had barely met Sherry. Now I think of Sherry as a sister and absolutely adore you! We had so much fun in Brussels. Thank you for the kind words and you are so right, we all have someone we look up to and that is a large reason why we try to be very open when writing our blog. We have looked up to people in the past and wish that we could get a little more insight into what they are thinking. I learn from people when they are open and honest and I know that people just starting out are looking to fellow travel bloggers for some insight into what they can expect in the future. All we can do is share our story and hope that it helps others through the rough times and help them to appreciate their own success and embrace their accomplishments. Its something that I think we all need to work on.
I have been in awe of the two of you since I first met you through twitter a few years ago and I have always been so inspired by you. I have thoughts like you guys are having right now with my work and my own two little sites, I was hoping that by the time I got to the status where you stand right now it would all go away! haha
try not to stress out or worry too much, everything you touch turns to gold
Aw, thank you Cailin. I don’t think it will ever go away. I think that even when a person attains great success, they will always strive for more. But the moral of this story is, to embrace the fear and learn to live with it. Your going to have worries no matter what, but you just have to get used to living with them because unless you want to crawl under a rock, there will always be challenges.
Having just come home I did start thinking I needed to be happy in the moment rather than planning what’s next. It’s so easy to feel like you are building toward something but if you keep that mentality you are never there.
I’m really trying to focus on treating this as what I was building toward, while also looking ahead. Easier said than done.
That’s a nice way of looking at things Ayngelina. I think it is important to always have goals and look ahead, but it’s all about being content on where you are right now at this moment as well. Like Melanie said, “live for today, plan for tomorrow.”
Now do you see how successful the two of you are? You just have to read all these posts and what wonderful things people are saying about you, how you are an inspiration. You both have worked very very hard for a very long time and you deserve your success. Accept all the accolades and never forget to ‘take time to smell the roses’ and don’t be so hard on yourselves – when you stress about things you forget to enjoy the moment – each moment is precious one you can’t ever get back again so ENJOY! Love you both – Mom & Dad
Thanks Lois. I wrote this article before you spoke with Dave yesterday and I so wish that I added all of your words of encouragement into the article. Dave had such a great talk with John, he said afterwards that it was the longest phone conversation he’s had with his dad (Skype not included) in years. I didn’t think of going back and adding how wonderful you were to listen to Dave talk about everything yesterday and how you reiterated how much we have accomplished and made him feel so much more confident. (I’ll make sure to put that into a future post) You have been so supportive to both of us. We love you lots!
Having those fears and worries just means that you two are human. You’re grounded, and haven’t let all of these awesome opportunities go to your head. Which is definitely something to be admired!
But yes, if you could look at yourselves from where I’m sitting, you’d know that you’re doing an amazing job inspiring people, and that you have nothing to worry about!!
Thank you Amanda. I really appreciate you saying that. We have had awesome opportunities and I would love for people to see us from the outside for just one day. The levels of emotions that we go through over every given day is pretty hilarious. Even after writing this post, I didnt’ learn a thing. Today I went through the entire gamut of emotions for all the same reasons. I’m going to have to try harder tomorrow, but then again…tomorrow is Friday and it is normally my worst day of the week because I pick myself apart after CTV for a solid hour. That is going to be my first test. Relax and enjoy the drive home:)
Ugh! I can completely relate.
Scott and I have been realizing more and more that one of us needs to take on the role of the non-perfectionist, especially when it comes to our photography business. We both nick pick the crap out of the photos and it never looks good enough to us. This perfectionism is now carrying over into our clothing line. lol. I’m trying to learn to let things go and realize that not everything needs to be perfect. Great post!
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wow share nice information.. thanks for sharing friends
Great post, guys!
My 2¢ is that you should never feel guilty for wanting to push harder and achieve more. I think setting goals, reaching them, then setting even higher goals is absolutely essential to a well-lived life. In my favorite poem, Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle,” he talks about squeezing all that we can out of this life, never settling or allowing ourselves to become too comfortable (i.e. stagnant), and I think that’s what we’re really talking about here.
I’ve achieved a lot in my career– getting to interview my idols in music/film/literature, writing for Rolling Stone, contributing to definitive music reference guides– but my ambition was never about getting to a certain place where I’m completely satisfied with my accomplishments, because I know for a fact that that place doesn’t exist. I just want to keep learning, and doing, and exploring, and experiencing, and sharing those experiences with others along the way.
In life, like travel, it’s not so much about the destination but the journey. It’s important to stop and smell the roses along the way, but it’s equally important to plant new roses. You guys kick ass, and in doing so you inspire everyone else to kick ass. Thanks for giving the rest of us something to aspire to!
Thanks Bret, well said. It’s important definitely to keep making goals and never settling, we’ve been learning slowly to enjoy the moment and smell the roses. I think it is equally important to enjoy life and to remind yourself that you can sit back and relax every once in a while. Something we’re still working on accepting. Cheers and sorry for my very late reply
Wow…8 weeks together…that was a long time! However it never felt like it. Ok – sure – some days it felt like it
, but overall it never did! So glad that the video was meaningful to you. I felt it to be a great reminder that everyone, absolutely everyone has these same struggles when they wander the path of greatness.
And by the way – the fact that you have answered all of these comments so thoughtfully is just another thing that I look at and say…Geez…that PlanetD really has it together! Yet I know the truth is that you don’t sleep much!
You guys made my 2011 travels – and for that – I’m eternally grateful!
Thanks Sherry. And now, It is nearly a year later that I am answering your comment proving that I don’t have it all together:) I am in the middle of redesigning the website and wanted to link to the post. As I took a look at it, I noticed some comments that I never replied to. It may be late, but I really appreciate your response and we had a wonderful time with you on the Mongol Rally. You inspired us and your positive energy is amazing to be around. I learned a lot from you.
No one will ever stop worrying – it’s part of our natural inclination as humans to do so. Just have to learn to deal with it.
You said it. I think it is human nature. Some people are better at controlling it than others and I think it’s good to stop and remind yourself every once in a while that you don’t have to take on the world every single day.
thanks for this post… made me think a lot… sometimes i fret a lot when im not hitting my targets but looking back… ive reached what i’ve set out to do, to learn how to earn online and to travel at the same time… this post reminded me to stop and just enjoy and savor every moment…
wishing you more success and more adventures this coming 2012
I’m glad we could remind you to enjoy the moment Flip. I think that everyone needs a little nudge every once in a while. It’s easy to focus on the negative or all the work that needs to be done, it seems to be human nature to never take the time to pat yourself on the back and say, Hey, I’m doing ok.