Investing in You

Have you ever felt stuck? Or if not stuck, lacking in direction? Or clear on direction, just unsure of the moves you need to take to achieve a goal? Perhaps you need to take yourself off to a retreat for some focus time on YOU.

I’ve been on a few retreats in my time, but October was the first time I’ve ever co-hosted one. You might have seen from my socials that it was a thoroughly transformative experience both for our guests, and for me and my co-hosts Nicole Hatherly, Kristina Karlsson and Sarah Pirie-Nally.

Which got me thinking, what makes retreats so impactful for so many people? I think it comes down to mindset going into a retreat, and on that note I thought I’d share with you the three reasons, in my experience, that a retreat can be a game-changer and a life-changer.

Reason 1: You’re ready to invest in YOU!

Going on a retreat isn’t about being selfish, it’s about giving back to yourself and replenishing some of the mental, emotional and physical bandwidth that we often dedicate to other people with barely a thought for ourselves. A retreat takes us away from the day-to-day noise and responsibilities and allows us to have a good think about who WE are, what we want and which direction we want to head. This in turn gives us the space to set our goals and intentions for the coming year, or even make a five year plan.

Reason 2: You get to meet people you wouldn’t normally meet

While some head to a retreat with a buddy, many venture on their journey of self-improvement alone. Either way, a retreat is a tremendous bonding exercise whether you’re travelling overseas, interstate or close to where you live. The good thing about meeting new people from different walks of life? It takes you out of your bubble – or your echo chamber – which helps you see other points of view, change your perception, and see things from a different perspective. And when I say ‘things’ I don’t just mean the hot political topics of the day – I mean the challenges that have you stumped and the questions that are bogging you down and preventing you from fully realising a new and improved you.

Reason 3: Immersing yourself in ‘other’

And when I say ‘other’ I mean other environments, other cultures, other ways of life, other ways of relating to people, even other weather systems. Whether you’ve travelled abroad or just down the road there are always new and exciting ‘others’ to explore, other habits to adopt, other routines to test out, other rituals to enjoy. All perfectly situated to shake you – and your mindset – out of your every day and into a new realisation of what matters to you and other ways dreaming, planning, goal-setting and intention-setting.

Overall a retreat is a learning experience for you – and about you. If you go in open minded you’re almost guaranteed to come out enriched by new perspectives, experiences, and friendships, all of which will likely last a lifetime.

Nicole, Kristina, Sarah and I are already making plans for our 2024 retreat (and I can tell you they’re very exciting)! Keep an eye on our socials for dates & details.