I’m sometimes haunted by the title of a book I read years ago, Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are. For years, before I permanently relocated to Utah, I left the Connecticut suburbs and spent months at a time in the mountains of Utah. Doing so changed my life, but I’m not sure it changed me.
On the surface, many things changed when I settled down in Utah. My exercise levels went through the roof; skiing and hiking are just minutes away; and I do something physical every day. Some days, I forget to eat, because there is just too much to do. Even work gets easier, because in between my writing sessions, it’s so easy to recharge.
But...
The things that scared or bothered me…still scare or bother me. I still procrastinate around routine tasks I dislike, like paying bills or waiting in line for an oil change.
Wherever I go, it’s still the same me.
What about you? Do you think, “When I get a raise, I’ll eat better/take better care of my house/be more motivated?”
Has the thought ever occurred to you, “Someday, I’ll move to the ocean and meditate/run/exercise every day?”
My experience suggests that changing your environment changes many things, but it doesn’t change you... at least not as much as you might expect.