It’s Friday and it’s late. My daily post should have been up hours ago, but I’ve been in a car traveling most of the day. My wife and I just sent the past three days at the most amazing cottage in Northern Ontario with some great friends.
The cottage was absolutely stunning even with its lack of hydro, hot showers, flushing toilets, and massive swarms of killer mosquitos.
I thought about this blog post during our final moments of relaxation this morning while sitting on the dock waiting for a boat to take us back to civilization.
When I say go away, I don’t mean it in a rude way. Instead, I just want you to take a vacation.
And I don’t mean a tour. A tour is what happens when you’re on a bus or a cruise ship. I also don’t mean trying to see six European countries in 10 days – that’s just a collection of snapshots. I mean a real vacation.
No plans. No advanced tickets. No reservations. No Rick Steve’s travel books.
The type of vacation I’m talking about can happen in your backyard. It can happen on your lunch break. It can happen this weekend. And it’s relatively affordable. And while a pristine Northern Ontario cottage helps, it’s not absolutely crucial.
Most people use vacations to escape from work, and end up bringing the stress of work with them. I used to be as guilty as the next guy. I’m talking about a different type of getaway.
Here’s the itinerary.
Find a spot/time/place where you can allow your mind to truly reflect on your future goals. Don’t dwell on the past. Learn from the past, but let it go. Stressing about the past is simply wasted energy.
Attempt to gain some perspective and clarity around your goals and future plans. Search and strive for pure relaxation. Let everything else go. Simply focus on where you want to go…and aim yourself in that direction. (personal or business)
These vacations can be short and sweet, or they can be long and extended. Spread them out and take them often.
It’s those moments when you’re most likely to have a major breakthrough. It’s those moments where the real magic is going to happen. It’s those moments you’re going to solve that problem that’s been driving you crazy, or come up with that new idea you’ve been searching for.
That’s a vacation.
Go.
