The roads near my house have been especially miserable the past month or so.  Living in a traditional neighborhood has its perks, but a complete lack of plowing is not one of them.  As a result, I have been forced to modify my daily drive and look for more efficient, safer ways of getting home.

In doing so, I have learned a lot about the way other people think (and why my logic is quite different).

Most people prefer to stay on the “main” streets.  Interstate highways and major roads are typically the first to be plowed and salted, so it is understandable why people feel “safer” on them.  As a result, these roads quickly turn into parking lots when the weather turns bad.  The volume of cars on these roads doesn’t necessarily increase, but delays are quickly compounded when they aren’t operating at their intended efficiency (speed limit).

The result?  One hour commutes that usually take 15 minutes.  Or 40-car pile ups that cause roads to completely shut down (not an exaggeration).

On the other hand, I hate sitting in traffic.  I would much rather take a “round-about” way and be on the move the entire time than sit among a sea of steel in stop-and-go for two minutes.  I love finding new ways to get from Point A to Point B.  If it’s going to take me an hour to get home, I might as well have fun doing it and see some places I’ve never seen before.

And that’s why it’s hard for me to understand why so many people afraid of trying new things.  What is the worst that could happen?

And that’s when I realized that it pays to be part of the minority – both in driving and in business.  While most people are content playing it “safe”, driving on major highways, a select few are off on the side streets – having fun, seeing new things, and meeting new people.  It might take you a little longer to get where you want to go, but chances are even better that…

You’ll get to your destination sooner and have more fun doing it.

What roads do you frequent?  Is there an alternate route you should be considering?