There are times when meticulous planning makes sense. Be it of the financial nature, choosing a city to plant roots, or setting down a particular career path, they all certainly fall under the umbrella of “stuff that we should probably think about for a bit.” Maybe we’re even talking about a multi-state riding trip. Those sorts of situations should have some semblance of structure, even if you have a laissez-faire approach to life.

At other, less critical crossroads, careful consideration isn’t as important and arguably curbs any prospect of spontaneous adventure. For example, you may have forgotten to pencil in a pit stop at a tasty gelateria, taqueria, or bakery, but who among us is bold enough to shy away from an opportunity of gastrodiplomacy? Not I, friends.

Regardless of the discipline you partake in, motorcycles are transportation. Some prefer to use them to spin laps around racetracks, while others rack up their mileage over great distances, be it on asphalt or an earthen trail. People on two wheels are natural explorers of our collective domains to one degree or another.

How many among us spend their weekend mornings riding mountain passes, followed by stops at roadside eateries? Probably quite a few. Depending on the quality of your local greasy-spoon diner and the routes you have at your disposal, the breakfast nosh might be the highlight of the ride. Ideally, there is a balance between those two aspects.

It’s reductive, I’ll admit, but a point that’s worth spilling some digital ink over: to experience things, you’ve got to do them. Those weekend group rides we’ve been planning, the track day we’ve wanted to book, the BDR we’ve earmarked for a vacation that keeps getting pushed back; you get the idea. Those goals are always future-filed and, as the Spanish have wisely figured out, putting things off for tomorrow can be done in perpetuity.

If you’re reading this internet rant, there is a strong chance that you own a vehicle, or even vehicles. More specifically, you likely own a motorcycle. Ah, look at that! We’ve already cleared the biggest hurdle to adding pins on a map: how to get there.

The next step is carving out time to do it between work, familial obligations, or whatever else might block dates on your calendar. That’ll be subjective to you, though I’ll go on record as a latchkey kid and say the fires I started were usually somewhat controlled.

Naturally, there are monetary limitations, and presuming grand moto adventures are feasible for everyone is a bit foolish. So, let’s approach this situation with an ethos that can be applied to any walk of life, regardless of how deep your coffers might be. Don’t get caught up in the planning stages, people! Take baby steps, dip your toes in the proverbial pool, and build experiences to make you more confident when it is time to make those larger leaps. Is a 500-mile Sunday ride daunting to a salty veteran? No, not really. But, to a newly licensed rider, it could be.

We’ll even apply this logic to other situations. Headed to a city you’ve never been to and looking for things to do? Well, spending a bit of time reading travel blogs couldn’t hurt. It might give you an idea about the local sites. My personal approach is simple and one developed to ward off any plan-induced paralysis, but it took quite a while to get there. Best yet, it only requires the thing we’re glued to 24/7. Open up the map on your phone, check your location, then start walking to the nearest historic sites. That’s it.

Once you’ve done that, repeat until you’re tired or hungry and stop at the first place that looks appealing. Be gracious to locals, ask questions if your language skills grant you that ability, and, most importantly, look at the world around you. When asked what I’d be doing during some downtime during a recent trip, my response puzzled a buddy who has a particular knack for developing and executing tightly controlled itineraries. So, I’ll close with what I said to him, “Dunno, dude. Probably go stare at some old buildings.” Unless it’s dreaming, thinking about things for too long can slow you down. Make it simple and enjoy.