1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to make your own mini retreat. Getting 4 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: away for just a little bit with a little bit 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: of structure can give you the opportunity to ask important 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: questions about your life. While a long retreat might be great, 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: taking a mini retreat is more doable for people who 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: can't just go sit in a cabin somewhere for a year. 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: Since Thorough went to Walden Pond to contemplate life, many 10 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: of us have idealized this idea of escaping from our 11 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: usual routines to think deep thoughts. Organizations everywhere host annual 12 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: retreats for their leaders to ponder strategy, often at some 13 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: hotel with a view of the beach or the mountains. 14 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: That can be great, but any corporate retreat will inevitably 15 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: focus on futures within the organization and not big life 16 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: decisions which might not include the organization, and many of 17 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,279 Speaker 1: us don't work for large companies. Anyway, We might crave 18 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,919 Speaker 1: space to think about our lives, but in the bustle 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: of carpools and emails, this can be tough to do. 20 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: But I do think it's possible. I've taken a few 21 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 1: writing retreats, and I've got a Think Deep Thoughts professional 22 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: retreat on the calendar soon too. Here's how to make 23 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 1: these retreats fit in life, and how to optimize your 24 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: time while you're doing them. First, privileged convenience over other factors. 25 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: You might like to go to Malibu, but a quiet 26 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: beach an hour from your house is perhaps a better bet. 27 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: Or you might tack a few days onto a business trip. 28 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: I took one writing retreat in jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, which 29 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: is a cute mountain town about ninety minutes from my house. 30 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: I did another writing retreat in a different part of 31 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: the Poconos. When I was speaking at someone else's retreat, 32 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: I just showed up two days early. When you've got 33 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: a full life, you don't want to lose time to transit. 34 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: Being just an hour away can be enough to remove 35 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: you from your daily situation. Second, think short, but not 36 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: too short. I think two nights is the minimum because 37 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,239 Speaker 1: it gives you at least one whole day during which 38 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,839 Speaker 1: you don't need to move yourself or your stuff. Three 39 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: would be better, giving you two whole days with no 40 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: transit the past. This there may be a point of 41 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: diminishing returns. You want enough time to think and relax, 42 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: but not so much that it's overwhelming and you start 43 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: wasting time. Many of us do better when we have 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: some limits. Third, go with a specific goal in mind. 45 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: With both of my writing retreats, I wanted to devote 46 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:49,279 Speaker 1: whole days with no interruptions, to editing my book. Manuscripts 47 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: were at the point where I could do that, and 48 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: I was basically happy with what I'd written, but I 49 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: wanted to experience this writing as a through reader, making 50 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: notes and then addressing what I could. You might take 51 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: a retreat with the goal of pondering your professional and 52 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: personal goals for the next year. Or maybe you're thinking 53 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: of switching careers and want to identify and rank what 54 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: aspects of a new career would make you happiest. Just 55 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: getting away sounds nice, but as a recipe for watching 56 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: hotel movies rather than thinking deep thoughts. Fourth, prepare Do 57 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: you need to read something before you go? Do you 58 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: need to ask for other people's advice? If I had 59 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: gone on my retreats with half a manuscript, they would 60 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: have been much less productive, So I needed to get 61 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: that done ahead of time. If you have a complex life, 62 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: you also need to make sure the plans are in 63 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: place for you to escape. Do you have child care, 64 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: do you have backup childcare? If you have a partner, 65 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: is this person on board? Ideally, because you've offered to 66 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: reciprocate at some point, block off the days and be 67 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: ruthless about keeping them blocked. Anticipate what could derail you, 68 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,119 Speaker 1: and make sure there's a plan to address those derailments. 69 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: It might even help to create a backup slot for 70 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: your retreat should your first choice of timing not work. 71 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: If it's important, you deserve to give yourself that space. 72 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: Fifth plan to work and think, but to do other 73 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: things too. On both my retreats, I spent some time 74 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: walking around outside. I hiked in the Poconos, and I 75 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: visited little restaurants in jim Thorpe. Even on a retreat, 76 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: you're not going to be able to work for twelve 77 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: hours straight, so get a sense of when you'd like 78 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: to take breaks. Meals are a good option, but you 79 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: probably want something physical to give yourself a schedule of 80 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: goals for each segment by noon, I want to have 81 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: written this list by nightfall. I want to have explored 82 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 1: the upsides and downsides of each idea. And finally, don't 83 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: sabotage yourself. If you plan to think deep thoughts, put 84 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: your phone in airplane mode or hide it somewhere. Don't 85 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: get sucked into an email chain about something that will 86 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: yank you right back to your office or the politics 87 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: of your homeowners association board. By building in breaks, you 88 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: can nix some of this temptation, but not all of it. 89 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: That's on you. If you view your mini retreat as 90 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: a gift you are giving yourself, perhaps you can appreciate 91 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: it and honor it as a gift someone else might 92 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: give you. You wouldn't smash it right in front of 93 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: their eyes. Have you ever taken a mini retreat? I'd 94 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: love to hear how you pulled it off. You can 95 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: email me at Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart media dot com. 96 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 97 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 98 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 99 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 100 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 101 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: That's b the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 102 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 103 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 104 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 105 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 106 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 107 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 108 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.