The Real Question: Are You Escaping the Grind or Embracing the Goal?

Escaping the Grind or Embracing the Goal? The Secret to Lasting Energy 🚗💨

Does the "vacation high" come from the destination, or the power of choice? In this episode of the Living Lucky® Podcast, Jason and Jana Banana reveal a profound mindset shift: Are you moving toward what lights you up, or just escaping a stale routine?

From the science of habituation to the infectious energy of their 16-year-old dog, we explore how to break the "doom loop" of daily obligations. Learn to harness the productivity of anticipation every day—no plane ticket required.

In this episode, you will learn to:

• Identify Your "Why": Distinguish "escape energy" from "arrival energy" for sustainable joy.
• Beat Habituation: Jolt your brain awake to appreciate the home and life you already have.
• Value-Link "Have-To's": Turn draining tasks (like doctor visits) into acts of self-stewardship.

Mindset Nuggets for Daily Momentum:

• Energy is Contagious: When you live on purpose, your "vibe" upgrades everyone around you. (Believe in the people around you).
• The Power of Anticipation: Schedule "micro-adventures" to trigger dopamine spikes and clear your mental horizon. (Believe in your circumstances).
• Home as a Sanctuary: If you're always "escaping," fix the leaks in your routine. Design a life you love returning to. (Believe in yourself).
• Stewardship Over Dread: Align hard tasks to your higher values. When the "why" is big, the "how" is easy. (Believe in a higher power).

Stop running away; start moving toward. Hit play to sharpen your focus and start Living Lucky® today!

• How to stay motivated without vacation, overcoming daily routine boredom, signs of burnout vs needing a break, shifting from victim to victor mindset.
• "Why do I feel more productive before a vacation?" This is caused by the "deadline effect" and dopamine-fueled anticipation. The brain thrives on a clean slate and a clear finish line, which triggers higher focus and energy levels.
• "How can I make my daily life feel more exciting?" Practice "micro-adventuring." Change your physical environment, batch your chores into "sprints," and schedule intentional fun on your calenda

Transcript

Turning Negativity Into Momentum

Jana Shelfer 0:00

Are you ready to create a life you crave? Let's spin that doom loop of negativity into an upward success cycle and start Living Lucky®. Good morning. I'm Jana. I'm Jason. And we are Living Lucky®. You are too. We're headed on a trip this morning.

Jason Shelfer 0:21

Going on a road trip. Going on a road trip.

Jana Shelfer 0:24

I am telling you, our dog woke up with a pep in her step.

Jason Shelfer 0:28

Wasn't it funny?

Jana Shelfer 0:29

She is so excited.

Jason Shelfer 0:30

She saw her bag packed. And she's like, oh yeah. I'm going on this one.

Jana Shelfer 0:37

Jason brought up the concept. Are you excited about going on the trip, or are you more excited about not doing your everyday tasks?

Jason Shelfer 0:47

Yeah, or not being in your everyday environment. Like whatever that is.

Jana Shelfer 0:52

Like what is the inspiration?

Excited To Go Or To Get Away

Jason Shelfer 0:55

Because, you know, we we both kind of woke up, yeah, we're headed out to I remember so I remember back when I was working 80 hours a week and we would have vacations planned or something. You're always most productive on those couple of days right before vacation.

Jana Shelfer 1:11

Because you want to get it all done.

Jason Shelfer 1:12

You want to get it all done. You're like excited. There's that energy in the air. We talk about energy a lot.

Jana Shelfer 1:18

And you want to just be able to shut it down and not think about it.

Jason Shelfer 1:24

I remember worry about it. I remember just thinking back on my feelings. And I don't think this is nostalgic thinking back. I think it's actually the way I felt was I'm going to be so happy to not be here, not have this to-do list, and to just be away. Like, so it's like I was more excited about, or I was equally excited, probably, about not being where I was, and equally excited about going to where I'm going.

Jana Shelfer 1:52

Well, half the time when we go on a trip, I seriously sometimes don't even know where we're going. Like on when we're on a plane, I literally look at the map going, oh, that's where we're going. So it doesn't really matter where you go for me. Yeah, I think you're right. It's just the excitement of doing something different.

Jason Shelfer 2:15

And there's a there's one thing, and I think I'm I get excited about the things that we do every day too. And sometimes we don't sometimes we don't do anything. Like that's the phone.

Energy, Routine, And Slow Starts

Jana Shelfer 2:27

Well, it's just it's real. I know it's real, but that's the one thing I'm like, oh gosh. But because I think because January's been a slow start for me. I'm just gonna be completely transparent.

Jason Shelfer 2:39

It's a slow start from the inside out, but from the outside in, when people are talking to us, they're like, you guys just never stop. You never do so much.

Jana Shelfer 2:47

We I don't know when the last time I washed my hair.

Jason Shelfer 2:52

I've been talking about um, I'm gonna take a shower today for the last three days.

Jana Shelfer 2:56

Don't say that. We can't tell people that.

Jason Shelfer 3:00

Well, that's the truth.

Jana Shelfer 3:01

We're humid, we're humid.

Planning Fun Versus Escaping Life

Jason Shelfer 3:03

Uh the thing is, we we we plan our fun. And so, and also I think our mindset says we're gonna have fun regardless of where we are, whether it's here, whether it's there. And we're not, I don't think we're escaping anything when we're going, which is very different from where I was.

Jana Shelfer 3:21

We really love coming home, like that's even more fun. I hate to say that vacations are great, don't get me wrong, but coming home is like, oh yay.

Jason Shelfer 3:31

Right. I I feel the exact same way. Well, we live in paradise, like we literally in my maps, my our house is listed as Club Met.

Jana Shelfer 3:40

No, it's not. Yes, oh uh, just in your phone.

Jason Shelfer 3:42

Yeah, in my phone.

Jana Shelfer 3:43

I was gonna say like I didn't know we were living at Club Med. That's right.

Loving Home And Resisting Habituation

Jason Shelfer 3:50

But it because it feels like there's I I think that we've been able to move a little bit away from that law of habituation, not completely, yeah, but it's a it's one of those things where we keep moving into further horizontal, it's like the Star Trek, going where no man has gone before. Yeah, like we take our we put ourselves out there in different venues and areas across the country or out of the country, and then have that joy of coming back.

Jana Shelfer 4:20

Okay, I want to explore this a little deeper because I feel like you're very surface right now. So if we are more excited about doing something different because we're not doing what we're aligned with, normally do. Right. I will say yesterday I had doctor's appointments all day, and I could not wait. Like I was almost angry and resentful because I would much rather be here at home doing things that I normally do.

When Obligations Drain Your Energy

Jason Shelfer 4:52

The things that we love doing.

Jana Shelfer 4:55

Yeah, like there was a wall in the other direction as well.

Jason Shelfer 4:59

Well, those are um the almost the have to's.

Jana Shelfer 5:03

Yeah.

Jason Shelfer 5:04

Like it's hard to there, there's some doctor's appointments, I think, where it's like a I actually there's I don't I can't think of a doctor's appointment where there's a I want to for me. No, like and I should, like health is a very big priority.

Jana Shelfer 5:17

Not that prostate exam, you're not like, oh, I want to do that.

Jason Shelfer 5:20

This colonoscopy that's coming up next week.

Jana Shelfer 5:21

Oh, you're gonna love that. I can't wait.

A Small Trip, A Big Shift

Jason Shelfer 5:25

I won't remember it. But there's so there's those things that like you do because health is a value. And I will tell like I'm the guy that's like, I don't want to go to the doctor, it's not bleeding, you know. I know, you know, so it's it's there's those pieces in there that I'm not I don't want to do, but I'm gonna do. Okay, and a lot of people are living in that I don't want to do, but I'm gonna do because I'm it's it's just I'm in this machine of life, and that's where I think I'm supposed to be. And then they want to escape it for their vacation.

Jana Shelfer 6:00

Okay, so let's let's just uh reiterate what we're talking about today. Jason and I have a little trip today, it's a very small trip.

Jason Shelfer 6:09

It's a day trip.

Jana Shelfer 6:10

It's literally up to Talhasse. We're gonna go out to a concert with some friends, and then we're coming back.

Jason Shelfer 6:18

Yes.

Jana Shelfer 6:19

The next day.

Jason Shelfer 6:20

Because we got a dinner party the next night here.

Jana Shelfer 6:22

And we do feel uh a totally different energy today.

Jason Shelfer 6:27

Even the dog feels it. The dog later is like, let's go.

Jana Shelfer 6:31

She did. She woke up with this pep in her step. And if you have been following us, you know that our dog is 16, maybe 18, it depends on the day. And so she can't hear or see. So there's something that she feels. Yes, she feels 100%. And so the question came up this morning during coffee is it that we're more excited to go do this, or is it we are more excited to not do what we've been doing, what's on our daily routine.

Anticipation, Old Friends, And Self‑Image

Jason Shelfer 7:05

Yeah, and I think that's just a question to explore for people, for everyone. Because I will say I know that I'm excited to do this. I'm not excited to get away. Like it's a it's one of those things where this is like this is lighting me up. I mean, it's my best friend's concert. He he and his brother are singing. There's gonna be probably a couple hundred people that I haven't seen really in 20-something years, which is a little frightening.

Jana Shelfer 7:34

There's a whole that's a whole nother topic right there, because then you start going into, oh my gosh, are they gonna think I'm fat? But are they gonna talk about how I've been aging?

Jason Shelfer 7:44

But where I so there's this thing about me or the this feeling that I have that everything is so good that it's almost like I I want, I I'm looking like I'm I feel like the prom king, I love that. Still prom king going back.

Jana Shelfer 8:01

I love that for you. Were you prom king?

Jason Shelfer 8:03

No, it wasn't even considered, but that like in my mind, that's like I feel like things are so good for us good for you that I was like, Good for us. I kind of want the world to see what it's like to be Living Lucky®.

Wanting Others To Feel Living Lucky

Jana Shelfer 8:16

It's it's so it's like and I see people living like I or I see people everyone is Living Lucky®, but they just take time to notice it, and take time to claim it.

Jason Shelfer 8:27

And that's that's where it's like I I want people to see how I feel because I want them to feel that. I want everyone to feel that. Okay, and and that's that's I think that's it's a weird thing. Like it's uh now I'm saying it out loud for the first time right now because I'm kind of working through this emotion of how excited I am, why am I excited about it? Because we have things to do here, yeah, you know, like there's and there are things that I want to do here, but this is a a bigger priority because I'm excited about it. There's a it's it's kind of it's been on the calendar for a while, and and I'm I've been looking forward to the day.

Jana Shelfer 9:10

So uh since we don't really know what we're talking about today, what is it that you are excited about? What is the the pinpoint? Is it seeing people? Is it getting out of the house?

Jason Shelfer 9:21

I think it's it's probably seeing people, um, having time. This this is my one of my best friends from high school.

Jana Shelfer 9:28

Okay.

Jason Shelfer 9:28

And his he and his brothers, brothers Van Landingham, playing in Tallahassee.

Jana Shelfer 9:32

Because we went to this last year as well.

Jason Shelfer 9:34

Yeah.

What Are We Really Excited About

Jana Shelfer 9:35

And I'm gonna be real. I I didn't really enjoy that whole aspect of it because I I feel like we literally said, Hey, do him. Yeah, like it was in passing. We didn't even get to talk to him.

Jason Shelfer 9:50

And I and so there's this aspect of just be maybe it's the aspect of just being able to witness and support him, and support and and kind of catch up on his life, which is weird because I could call him every day, you know, I could call him every week. But it's but we're going to his concert, but we're going to the concert. So it's not even a direct connection. Um, it's but it's hearing those old stories again.

Jana Shelfer 10:15

It's hearing yeah, he gets on stage and he talks about stories of growing up. Usually there's a couple Jason Shelfer stories in there, and he's a his daytime job is being a doctor, so he Which is funny that you had doctors' appointments all day yesterday, and you're like, I don't want to go to the doctor, and I feel the same way without doctors, and so he invites all of his patients in into the arena. So the arena is full, and you you kind of start looking around, you're like, okay, uh, you know, Hugh is their doctor. This is very connected. You've seen them naked, right? This is very connected.

Jason Shelfer 10:51

Uh yeah, it's it's a it's weird. It's it's but just it was interesting taking note of the energy, the the the visible change in energy in the house with Tater, with the danger.

Jana Shelfer 11:02

With the dog, yeah.

Jason Shelfer 11:04

That was really this morning, but I wasn't like you didn't see me walking around on my tiptoes, prancing through the house.

Energy In The House And Communication

Jana Shelfer 11:11

Like when you started making coffee this morning, you you were really talkative. Which I had more laughs. I am gonna be real, and any woman that's listening to this, sometimes sometimes my husband doesn't speak for hours. I have to kind of goat you to to talk. Is it goat goad goad you to talk? Yeah, that would be bad. So sometimes I have to really poke and prod a little bit to get you to I know, there we go again. You know it's on our subconscious minds. Oh yeah, it's weird.

Jason Shelfer 11:50

It's uh because I'm I'm seeing, like looking back and visualizing our days. Sometimes I will just sit and contemplate or or not, you know.

Jana Shelfer 12:00

And I go, did you hear me? And then it kind of becomes a what what world am I in?

Jason Shelfer 12:08

Yeah, why doesn't my husband hear my voice anymore?

Speaker 12:11

Why is that?

Jason Shelfer 12:13

I hear you. Okay, I just sometimes you just say things and they don't require they don't like there's not a question, and there's it's but I understand that it's a prompt.

Speaker 12:22

Yes, I do. Okay, thank you.

The Core Question: Escaping Or Arriving

Jason Shelfer 12:24

I do. It's a prompt. I'm gonna get better. And we're all working on this together. Oh I will have more energy around the words that you say because I I love your words.

Jana Shelfer 12:35

Okay, so I guess the question that we are contemplating today is are you excited about doing what you're doing today, or would you be more excited about changing it up and doing something different?

Jason Shelfer 12:47

Yeah, is it is it just the difference? Is it just the are you escaping something or are you going to something?

Jana Shelfer 12:54

Oh, there you go. That should have been the lead sentence. Thanks for joining us.

Jason Shelfer 12:59

Keep Living Lucky®.

Closing And Invitation To Live Lucky

Speaker 13:00

Bye-bye. If the idea of Living Lucky® appeals to you, visit us at LivingLucky.com.