So, it is time to UNPLUG!

What do I mean by unplug? Well, much like it sounds.

Next week I am going on a much needed vacation. No, it’s not an exotic trip to the Caribbean or Europe…No, it’s not going to be fancy dining, drinking and whooping it up….and No, it’s not going to be an expensive “fancy shmancy” resort!

Rather, it is going to be a cozy condo up North where I can enjoy the quiet and solitude of the beauty that winter presents while at the same time allowing me to reflect on what the balance of this year looks like and be present with myself.

All year long I am tied to my computer, my phone and the many, many areas of my life that need my attention. During my vacation week, I will NOT be working on my computer, my phone will be used for emergencies only (and the occasional touching base with my kids) and “putting my feet up with a book” will be a daily occurrence…something I consider a luxury most of the year.
Why am I doing this you might ask? Well there are a number of reasons:

1. Quiet – my everyday existence includes work, phones ringing, computer (facebook, twitter, linked in, my website…) constantly beeping with messages, shuttling children around, food shopping, laundry that needs daily attention, preparing meals and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!! It is never quiet in my world and after a while, I forget to create quiet time so that my mind can focus, clarify and prepare for moving forward. Taking a vacation week unplugged will provide me with the quiet that will enable me to allow my mind to embrace all that dream about, vision and choose to create!

2. Reading – for many of the same reasons above, I have somehow almost given up on reading for pure pleasure. Sadly, I find that by the time I get into bed each night, I can’t keep my eyes open long enough to read more than a couple of sentences in a pleasure book. My son said to me recently, “Mom, how come you never read anymore? You never read at home but if we are away, you read so much that you don’t have time to do anything with us?”. He was right. I absolutely love to read and one of my commitments for 2010 is to create a new habit of reading at least 30 minutes each day…and my hope for this vacation is to create this new pattern of daily reading!

3. Reflection – Moving, moving, moving….can best describe my life. Every experience, every day, allows each of us the opportunity to learn and grow. Unless, of course, one does not take the time to reflect and explore all that life presents us with. On this vacation week, it is my intention to spend time reflecting on the experiences that the first month of the new year and decade has given to me and learn, explore and grow from. From this opportunity to reflect, I will be better able to create what I want going forward.

4. Full Presence – being fully present is something that is critical for successful growth…of ourselves, our relationships and our movement forward.

With the rushing around of my daily life, it is common for me to forget to be fully present in the moment. I forget to do it with my children, my family and friends…and they feel it. Have you ever experienced being with someone that is NOT fully present when with you? It is something that I strive to avoid, but when life’s daily momentum gets faster than I would like, it is time to UNPLUG, and hence…my vacation has become necessary!
I hope that you will allow my upcoming vacation to be an inspiration for you to create a mini-vacation for yourself where you, too, can create an environment to regroup, renew and reinvent what the balance of 2010 will be for you!

Have a wonderful two weeks and I will see you on the other side!