Have you ever gone on vacation and come back as the same person –just with a better tan and a few more expenses?
Have you ever wished that time spent away could be truly transformational?
Here’s one tip for making the most of your time off: Make it intentional.
Here’s a quick example.
I’m typically a stressed-out traveler.
Though I love the thought of vacation, it often feels like more work: planning, packing, getting the kids organized, and the house and pets prepped.
Even after arriving at our destination, I feel a constant urge to organize and optimize, deciding where to go, what to do, when and where to eat.
Well, on this last trip (to Maui), I made an intention to practice SURRENDER.
Instead of control-freaking my way through the journey, I chose to trust that “everything is always working out for me.”
Funny enough, here’s what happened:
- travel was effortless (dare I say, enjoyable?) despite the many covid-hoops
- we were able to easily park our oversize camper van safely (even though we heard warnings to the contrary)
- we found the most amazing beach spots (despite the crowds)
- we got to eat delicious meals (never waiting in line)
- we enjoyed both amazing luxury AND found ways to access the local, natural places
- And despite the 85% chance of rain while we camped overnight in Hana, the downpour turned out to be both brief and manageable (bonus: it got rid of the bugs!)
So what did all this teach me?
Making the intention to let go of control and practice SURRENDER made room for new possibilities, less stress, and more presence.
(I can’t tell you how many vacations I’ve taken where I never fully relaxed into the moment!)
Can you relate?
But you don’t have to wait until vacation to practice letting go.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Where do you try to control the outcome? Can you consider that it might work out just fine without any extra effort from you at all?
- Where are you taking responsibility for other people’s happiness? Can you trust them to create their own experience?
- What are your expectations? Can you replace your worst-case scenarios with best-case scenarios? How does that change the way you show up?
I hope you’ve got a fun vacation planned soon where you can practice being intentional. If not, you can still make room for new insights and possibilities by shaking up your normal routine.
In this bonus video, I share the perks of taking a pause from your routine.
Let me know if you’re up to give it a try!