As we are about to dive back into the grind of a new year, I have a challenge for you: schedule time off. I know many of us just came off a holiday, but I promise you by making time away from the day-to-day a priority, you’ll be sure you stay refreshed the whole year long.
I made a second trip to the Getaway House site in Meadville, MS (north of New Orleans) at the end of December. I find a change of scenery allows me to reflect and think in ways I just can’t at home. It also gives me more uninterrupted time for reading (thanks to my stays, I polished off 42 books in 2022!).
While I have three trips planned to return to the cabin in 2023, how am I going to maintain this spirit throughout the year? Here’s a few tips I picked up from all that reading:
- Working out daily. It’s been proven physical activity can impact our mental health.
- Schedule more buffers. This came from Essentialism by Greg McKeown … the idea is that we need time for our minds to shift, especially after intense tasks or meetings. For me, this means blocking off the day before and the day after a trip as buffers (starting later this month, as I did NOT plan that well for my trip later this week! Progress over perfection, right?).
- Build in time to dream. I’ve placed a brainstorm day on the calendar towards the end of each month to have days where I can think about where we are going as a firm, and if we are staying true to our mission of ensuring every fundraising professional knows and employs the power of gift planning in their work.
- Don’t forget to play! One of the best parts of my downtime this holiday season was getting to see and play with my nieces and nephews. What brings you that childlike joy? Schedule time for it! I was feeling blah this first full day back after the break, so I did a short dance workout of routines from when I was a Muff-a-lotta. It made me smile! I also added some craft days on the calendar this month to work on throws for our Krewe of Morpheus parade next month.
Self-care is so important, especially in the nonprofit industry where we work so hard to take care of others. On that note, I invite you to sign up for our quarterly email newsletter … the January edition will include details on a FREE self-care workshop and meditation at the end of the month. You can also check out the latest Philanthropy Porch Ponderings episode when you need a quick reminder, or throwback to Episode 15 for a more in-depth discussion.
How are YOU planning to getaway this year? Let us know! And PS-if you want to book your own Getaway House trip, here’s a code for $25 off your first visit!
