Posted by In Europe, or more specifically between mainland Europe and the United Kingdom lies the English Channel, excluding aeroplanes, this channel can be traversed by either ship or train, i.e. by a cross-channel ferry or by the Eurotunnel train link.
Now if you are taking your car with you, the train can get you from one side of the channel to the other in 35 minutes. Taking a ferry from Dover to Calais (or vice versa) takes 1hr 30 minutes. There used to be hovercraft or high-speed catamaran options as well, but these services have long since ceased to operate. Over my life I have actually travelled on pretty much all the options available, and there is something that has always struck me- the perceived urgency of people to get somewhere as quickly as possible.
I admit that I too am a victim to this mentality but every so often I like to rebel against that part of myself and sit back and let the world go by, and this is never more so apparent than when I book my travel. If I need to take my car with me when I travel to Europe, I will invariably book a ferry over the train. People have often asked me why, why I would do that when I can just drive onto a Eurotunnel train, wait for thirty minutes and then drive off again in another country and carry on my way?
My answer is- why would I be in that much of a rush? Taking the ferry, I can grab a meal or relax for an hour and a half before progressing on my way. Am I really in that much of a rush that 90 minutes is too much time to wait? You can learn a lot in that 90-minute window, for that time you are effectively trapped in one place with limited access to external communications. That trip in effect forces you to spend time with yourself. I use it as an opportunity to rest up and plan my route through Europe to my destination, to get ready for the next steps.
In our daily lives and businesses how often do we stop, take a breath and actually plan out the next steps? The reality is that often we don’t, we move from one campaign to the next, one crisis to another, always trying to juggle as many tasks as possible, to get everything done right now today! How much more efficient do you think you’d be if you just sat back for an hour cleared your head, and re-approached your current tasks once again? There is always time to take a break, and clear your mind for the next steps. Embrace the opportunities to take time out and instead of viewing them as wasted time. Instead view them as they are, welcome respites in your busy work schedule that give you the opportunity to refocus onto the next set of priorities with a clear head.