Aditi HAY FRIEND – Guess who’s back?
I just returned from a 3-week sabbatical I did for myself and boy do I have so much to share about it! In this post I’ll share why I did it, how it went, and tips on how to create your own sabbatical!
I spent 3 weeks in Palm Springs, CA which is about 2 hours from Los Angeles and a perfect getaway.
The view from my Airbnb was pure bliss. I could see the mountains and palm trees, it really felt dreamy. Here is what the sunset looked at from my patio. Sometimes I came home just to sit on my patio and enjoy this incredibe sunset!
I share my entire 3-week experience in the video right here and below the video I shared a written glipmse of it as well.
Why I did it –
Last January I got really sick and could barely get out of bed. I had to tell all my clients I can’t start work with them until February. This year I decided to grant myself this gift and keep January as my month for me.
I made a wish to the Divine in October that it would be a wonderful if I can make enough $$ to take a few weeks off to regroup, renew, and recharge before kicking off the New Year.
My prayers were answered (with action included on my part) and November ended up being my biggest month in sales of 2018. This allowed me to confirm my decision and take off January!
How I did it –
I made business announcements to my clients that my calendar was closing Dec. 15 and wasn’t reopening until after February 4. Was I a little nervous to make such a bold claim when I’m still building and growing my business?
Yes ABSOLUTELY. But everything in my being said YOU MUST DO IT. So I listened to my body. Some of my clients were freaked out and asked me what will they do in January? So I gave my clients work to do while I was gone.
How it went –
It was quite a rollercoaster of an experience to be honest. At first I was often around people working – this made me feel guilty and I felt I should be working. It kept me in a state of limbo and I found myself working a bit.
It was actually really hard to disconnect. So when there was only 2 weeks left I made a bold decision. I decided to get off email and social media completely so I wouldn’t be plugged in anymore. This is where the magic really started.
After ALL the distractions – I was left with just Me, myself, and I. My coach says, when you take out all the distractions, you’re left with the truth and reality of your life. And my reality was – a lot of my anxiety, worry, stress, and freakout came to the surface.
It’s funny how distractions cover up the real feelings that are sitting underneath. I was grateful for this time to work through some of my inner blocks that came up.
A few fun things I did were:
- Practiced how to do winged eyeliner (something I been wanting to learn!)
- Made shrimp ceviche for the first time (omg it was SO good)
- Went to a 24/7 jacuzzi and pool with mineral water (movie night at the pool was my fav!)
- Went on walks with the mountain view and danced to the mountains (literally)
- Read multiple books: Breaking The Habit Of Being Yourself and Pussy (so good)
- Went to multiple happy hours and nightclubs (I had to get my dance and cosmo on)
My favorite restaurants I checked out:
- 533 Viet Fusion – OMG they have ALL day happy hour and serve appetizers in these fun martini glasses. I had the red curry coconut ramen nooodles, and the lemongress chicken meatballs pho – both were to DIE for. And my favorite drink was the Thai Basil Lemondrop. The bartender named Franco is AWESOME.
- Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant – They have a $3.99 margarita happy hour and their food is super good. I tried their shrimp fajitas and they were sooo good.
- Hibachi Steakhouse & Sushi Grill – This place had AWESOME happy hour drinks and sushi specials. I got an apple martini but I can’t remember the roll I got. If you love Hibachi like I do they also have a early bird special if you come before 6:30. I got the shrimp, veggies, fried rice and it was so so good!
The Thai Basil Lemondrop!
The lemongrass chicken meatball pho!
The apple martini and sushi roll at happy hour!
The yummmmmy hibachi special!
Outside of the fun stuff, I also had a few nights where I had complete breakdowns, reality checks, and also other nights that were so magical, flowy, and wonderful. It was a perfect mix of everything.
The 15 days off social media was probably one of the coolest and most transformative parts of the experience. I have another video, specifically on that experience, that I will be sharing with you soon.
I went more IN DEPTH of the 3-week experience in the video above (scroll up).
Want to do your own sabbatical?
A ton of people were inspired by my plans and wished they could do their own. The good news is, you can make your own mini-sabbatical with whatever you have to work with.
If you can’t get away, you can just take 1 day to disconnect from the world and just do whatever your heart is guiding you to.
Or you can check yourself into a hotel nearby for a night to just be away from the everyday noise. It doesn’t have to be extremely expensive. Don’t let money be the reason to stop you.
I had a HUGE car bill come up in the beginning of my trip that I got really upset about it. It caused me to get creative on how I can enjoy myself without a ton of $$.
Here are my tips for Creating Your Own Sabbatical:
- Schedule, plan, and announce your sabbatical to whoever needs to know
- Follow through and make it happen (it may feel uncomfortable and that’s OK)
- Disconnect, turn off notifications on your phone
- Expect discomfort and withdrawal – you won’t know what to do with yourself and may feel restless at first. Give yourself space to ease into the experience.
- Allow your heart and intuition guide you to what your body wants to do and experience. Maybe you’ll be led to a spa for a massage, maybe you’ll be led to sit outside in nature by a garden, maybe you’ll be guided to a bookstore to peruse and skim books that draw you in… the possibilities are endless. Let your body guide you.
- Most of all – come into the present and enjoy every moment!
Tell me what kind of sabbatical you will do and when below!
XO
Aditi
OH AND PS – THE 3 WEEK REBOOT STARTS TOMORROW!
I want to bring my 3-week experience to you so I’m hosting a 3-week Reboot to help you set your business, brain, and body up for success to have your best year ever! We start tomorrow, so sign up here to join us!