Here’s Why Intentionally Stepping Back Actually Launches You Forward

When was the last time you took a vacation?

When you decided to become an entrepreneur, I suspect that a big part of what you were seeking was freedom - the freedom to be able to go where you want, when you want, and have the means to do it.

And yet so many of my clients come to me because they’re feeling overworked and underpaid. They can’t even remember the last time they spent an entire day truly checked out of the office, let alone their inbox. Sound familiar?

In today’s new post, I’m revealing the transformative process I use on my retreats that helps entrepreneurs get off the hamster wheel of day to day life and step into their next level with renewed clarity, energy, and focus.

Read on to find out why taking a deliberate retreat away from your business will set into motion dynamic shifts that are the key to accelerating your success.

Entrepreneurs are their own worst boss

I find it really interesting that the majority of my clients come to me because they feel overworked. As an entrepreneur, they were initially excited to be their own boss, but in time, have become the worst boss they’ve ever had. They’re incredibly hard on themselves and never give themselves any time off. In fact, the last time they can remember taking 2 weeks of vacation was back in corporate America.

As a business owner, it’s easy to slip into a routine and find yourself stuck in a stage of your life and business that feels both stagnant and overwhelming. You don’t know the way out, so you just run on your hamster wheel, hoping something might change.

But nothing will change unless you do. And it’s nearly impossible to make those changes when you’re in the thick of it. It takes stepping away to be able to see your situation with fresh eyes so that you can determine what needs to shift, and how you’re going to do it.

You’ve got to retreat - take a step back - in order to take a big step forward

You cannot see the big picture until you step outside of your environment, remove your day to day distractions, and clear your head.

While you may think you can save yourself money and effort by staying at home or in your office and creating a self-led break from your work, it’s not possible for most people to resist the urge to dip in and out of their usual responsibilities. There’s something about being out of your element that allows you to focus with intention on what you’ve set out to reflect on.

Retreats can start out as a day away. For example, every year around the beginning of December, I book a spa day for myself, usually in a nice setting where I can spend the entire time getting pampered and hanging out between treatments. I bring my journal, and leave my phone, computer, and all other life distractions at home. During this day, I’m relaxed. My head is clear, and I’m able to get into the groove, feeling all the high vibes. I use this time to begin my goal planning for the upcoming year.

CEO time like this is incredibly useful in your business, though don’t feel discouraged if you’re not able to lead yourself in this way. If you've never done something like this, then it may behoove you to work with a coach who can lead you through guiding activities of exactly what to do when you go through your first few day-length retreats.

The impact of dedicated, longer retreats

Think back on a trip that made a huge impression on you in a positive way. Maybe it was a vacation, a family outing, or a solo or work trip. Where was it? Picture it - really picture it in your mind - and go back to that place for a minute.

What did it feel like to be there? What did you see when you were there? What did you learn when you were there? How much did that impact your life moving forward?

Whatever the trip was, it no doubt allowed you to evolve into the next version of yourself. And the amazing thing is, however evolved we may be, we never stop evolving. And we can always use retreats like these to assist us in our transformational growth. Stepping out of our environment opens up our energetic flow and leads to greater productivity because we have the space to see the bigger picture.

What you get out of a specially designed business retreat

When taking an intentional retreat as an entrepreneur, seek out one that focuses on lifestyle. Your own personal development is a huge part of your business’ success. You want a retreat that’s going to leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and excited to head back home and execute the changes you’ve determined for your next level self.

This is exactly what we do on the retreats that I host for entrepreneurs. The process I lead is one that guides attendees to release, redesign, renew, and rejoice.

You release everything - all the crap! - that is limiting you and holding you back from achieving your goals. All that fear, uncertainty, doubt that stops you from moving forward is released through a truly magical process of breathwork and more that leaves you feeling lighter on a soul level.

You then redesign your business with me in whatever ways that are needed to build the business of your dreams. Sometimes it's massive tweaks. And sometimes it's really small tweaks that make the big difference.

Then, you renew your inner self. We work with the body, mind, and spirit through reiki, energy work, and other tools that help you step into the version of yourself that you already are, uncovering the creative open self you need to move forward.

Then there is time to rejoice, to celebrate all that you’ve achieved and all that’s coming in the company of other women who are doing the same work and are your support system to hold you accountable.

I witnessed this powerful shift on my recent Sedona retreat. The women who attended made massive strides and left with a renewed sense of body, mind, and spiritual health that they could take back home to run their businesses. They understand the important fact that if they are not in a healthy place, it's really difficult to build a business. Health is everything. Health is wealth.

Overcoming the obstacles to going on a retreat

If you’re in a place where you feel overwhelmed and overworked in your business, it’s the perfect time to take a step back. I understand there are obstacles and hear them from women often.

Yes, it can feel challenging to take time away. You feel like everything's going to fall apart and there’s no one else to take care of your clients in your absence. If that’s the case, you need a retreat more than anything. If your first thought is that you don't have the time to take for yourself, then you are building a business built on sticks that is not going to serve you in the long run. If you hustle your heart out, you’re going to end up with a business you want to burn to the ground because it isn’t working.

Yes, retreats can feel expensive when you first consider them. If you feel like you’re struggling to catch up and your money and bank account is not where you’d like it to be, you can find options to fit your budget. However, I will say that every time I've invested a little bit more than I thought I should be at a given time, I have always figured out a way to make that money back tenfold. And you can, too, especially if you work with a coach. Together, you can strategically determine how to treat this as the investment it is, an investment you can grow from and make money back from.

In need of a reset?

If this is all resonating and you feel your soul tugging as you read, I would encourage you to find a retreat that suits your needs.

If you’re interested in working with me, I do have another Sedona retreat on the horizon called, “Sage Your Soul.” I have a few spots left and the women who have already signed on are amazing - high vibe, high spirit, and ready to crush it and make a difference in their lives and businesses. This is important too because retreats are not only powerful due to the coach you work with, but also due to the community that’s created through the group who attends them. You’re here to rise together, and that's one of the beautiful things that this retreat brings together. It creates lifelong friendships and bonds that last far beyond the three and a half days in Sedona.

Whatever retreat you choose, I challenge you to pursue the next opportunity to reignite your spirit through time away. This is the way to refresh + center yourself so you can take your business to the next level.

And if Sage Your Soul in Sedona is calling your name, DM me over on Instagram because I'm actively enrolling people right now.