How a Personal Retreat can change your life

For the first time in my life, I’m forging my path instead of walking someone else’s road.

As I near one year of doing Personal Retreats, I’m certain reflection is the door to a fulfilling life.

A Personal Retreat is a break from routine to reflect on the last quarter and get clarity on what’s next.

I learned about Personal Retreats from Mike Schmitz. He recently wrote a post describing the whole process:

The Power of the Personal Retreat

Here’s how I plan for my Personal Retreat:

Before

I commit to my Personal Retreat by picking a location.

I have experimented with different locations, from libraries to a guest house at a bonsai museum. The key is to get out of the routine.

Personal Retreat at Bonsai Museum
Guest House @ Bonsai Museum
Personal Retreat at Hotel
Hotel
Personal Retreat at Park Bench
Park Bench
Personal Retreat at Library
Library

As for the duration, a day and a half is enough. I could squeeze it into one day (8 hours), but the best is to let the insights land and my brain to recharge.

During

I create a new note in Obsidian, and go through the following phases:

  • Review (2 hours): Look back at the past quarter and revisit my priorities.
  • Reflect (4 hours): Rate 9 areas of my life, and do a retrospective.
  • Design (2 hours): Shape my intentions, habits, and routines based on the insights I gathered.

Staying away from email, social media, and notifications guarantees focus.

My recommendation

If you’re new to Personal Retreats, don’t try to do everything at once. Start small and iterate.

If I had to pick one thing to focus on it would be the Wheel of Life reflection.

Looking back, it’s mind blowing to think that 32 hours of reflection changed my life in one year. I shifted from running without direction to being close to launching my first mobile app as an Indie iOS Developer. This is a dream I have had for years!

Additional Resources