Everything You Need To Know About Achieving Your Goals Comes From Learning To Drive

It teaches you 3 essential steps

Think back to when you first got behind the wheel of a car.

You may have felt overwhelmed. A dizzying array of buttons, dials, and switches was in front of you.

You were told you had to master them, that you needed to be able to use any of them at any time while keeping your eyes on the road.

You needed them to become routine. You needed them to become second nature.

It felt impossible, yet you were excited to try.

I added more pressure on myself when I took my first driver’s test.

The Winter Ball at my high school was only a week away, and I had a date.

I wanted to be able to drive her there on my own instead of with a group of friends or, even worse, one of my parents.

I failed the first test quickly. As soon as I pulled out of the driveway of the DMV, the tester made me pull right back in.

California at the time didn’t allow you to retake it right away. You had to wait a minimum of one week, which meant my next attempt would be the morning of the dance.

What was your reason to learn to drive?

Maybe it meant freedom, the ability to go where you wanted when you wanted. I’ve now driven across the country five times without a plan, stopping wherever the wind took me.

World’s biggest ball of string? I took the exit. A motel that looked like the fort of Custer’s last stand? Been there, too. Standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ? Yup.

Maybe it meant romance.

I remember I wanted to take my first girlfriend (we were both 14) to Disneyland. I wasn’t old enough to drive, so we went with my whole family. I remember clearly this being the day I began to yearn to drive my own car.

Maybe it meant being able to help others. You could drive to the market for your parents. You could visit your grandparents.

The point is that you felt the need strong enough to put in the effort to learn to drive safely. Learning to drive took 100% effort, but you put in the work because you had the proper motivation.

The lesson here is that if you don’t have a strong enough reason to do something, you won’t spend the time learning it.

Learning to drive also taught you to focus.

There are plenty of distractions in a car, especially for a beginner. And these days, phones and digital screens make driving even more complex.

Getting to the point where you don’t have to consciously think about what you’re doing takes more time than ever.

But eventually, you’re able to push it all aside and concentrate on what’s important.

The third lesson is that learning to drive teaches you how to set goals and plan for them.

It’s different from state to state, but getting your driver’s license generally consists of two parts: passing a written test and passing a driver’s test. One is about knowledge, and the other is about practical application. These two things are at the heart of learning just about any skill.

California used to offer Driver Education classes for both of these but eliminated them in the 1970s due to budget cuts.

This meant I had two choices. I could figure it out on my own or hire someone to help. This is where setting up a plan was helpful.

My strategy was to use both choices.

I picked up a copy of the latest DMV guidebook and studied it for weeks until I memorized it. The written test was multiple choice, but it wasn’t easy if you hadn’t put in the work.

Once you passed the written test, you were given a learner’s permit that would let you get behind the wheel.

You had to have a licensed driver in the car, so most of my friends found a family member to take them out to a big parking lot to practice.

My parents had six kids and were working hard to put food on the table, so I was on my own. My plan helped to keep me on track to save the money I earned working at Taco Bell to hire the Sears Driving School to teach me.

Have a strong reason to do something. Remove distractions and focus. Break down the steps to achieving your goal and create a plan.

I passed the driver’s test the second time, was able to borrow my dad’s car, and had a great night at the dance. It was also the first time I made out in a car, so, a bonus.