Each person reading this may have a different notion of a “retreat.” In business, companies will sometimes organize a retreat or an “off-sight” to re-energize the strategic thinking of their key leaders in a place away from the daily grind. Some people go on religious or meditation retreats to escape daily pressures and immerse themselves in their spiritual practice. Writers’ retreats often offer a place in solitude or among likeminded folk, often in nature, where they can submerge into their work unperturbed.
All of these ideas of retreats share some commonality: removing yourself from routine and ordinary pressures, an intense focus, a goal for growth and perhaps a reset when you must return to everyday life. The idea of this appealed to me so much, but I wasn’t quite sure how to do this, how to afford this, and what my focus should be.
A few years ago I came up with the idea I called the QTR retreat, which stands for Quarterly Three R’s retreat. The R’s stand for Reflect, Reset, and Recharge. I designed this retreat for myself to be done at home in one full day, from sun-up through bedtime. The goal of this is to really put a magnifying glass on all parts of my life in a loving, nonjudgmental, but honest way, decide what is working and what needs revamping, and pampering myself in a way that makes me feel completely charged up to start the next quarter with my new goals and outlook at the forefront.
It has been three years now since I began this process. I started not knowing if it would stick or if it would be a one-off, but I can honestly say they are four of my absolute favorite days of the year. I have been able to maintain excitement for personal and work projects for much longer, gained confidence to try creative projects that I’ve never tried before, all while at the same time feeling like I was being kinder to myself.
I can see the benefit of doing something like this away from your home to really feel that traditional sense of retreat (and also to be able to ensure avoiding interruptions), but since I live alone I had more leeway to set up a retreat in my own space (and thus do this really on the cheap!) but in a way where I could avoid the trappings of my usual habits.
To truly embrace a demand the shimmer philosophy of life, you must get off of auto pilot and check in with the how you are doing on the path you are on, and if that path is even in the right neighborhood.
I am certain that anyone can design something that would work for them personally, but if you are interested in this idea but would like some more guidance in getting started with your own QTR retreat, I have created a detailed guide, available for download for a nominal fee on etsy: click here