I created Living ROI as a passion, to share my experiences and support others who want to live more authentic, joyful and fulfilling lives.
Dear Friends,
In my newsletter of February 3, A Non-Working Vacation. For Real!, I talked about preparing for my two-week vacation with the plan to stay totally unplugged for the first time in many, many years.
Well, I DID unplug, and stayed unplugged, and am so glad I did! What a difference. But, honestly, it wasn’t as hard as I thought. I realize part of the reason I hadn’t done so in the past was more around discipline—not preparing to be out and having loose ends I had to tie up while I was out. The other reason was checking email out of habit.
I thought I stayed connected because I was needed in the mix, and couldn’t fully duck out for that long, but no. It makes sense to me now that my ability to have a real vacation is a reflection of the confidence I have in my team being able to handle anything I might have handled. And, it’s important for me to model it if I want my team to enjoy the same benefits of an unplugged vacation.
Before I recount my unplugged experience, here’s a little bit about the actual trip. Colin, my husband, and I went to Colombia and had a blast. It’s a colorful country ripe with beauty, diverse environments, luscious food and warm, welcoming people. We started in the Caribbean Coast port of Cartagena. If you’re in NY, it’s an easy and relatively inexpensive flight!
The old town of Cartagena is a gorgeous Spanish colonial settlement, built in the 16th and 17th centuries, that has been partially gentrified, but still retains an authentic feel. It was a lovely place to acclimate, stroll through the cobblestoned streets and eat delicious food. Just a short boat ride away are islands with beautiful white sand beaches. Something for everyone!
Our next stop was the coffee belt of Colombia in the Andes mountains where, at the right elevation, the best coffee in the world is grown. We based ourselves in Salento, a delightful village from which to explore the tropical mountains and learn more about how coffee is grown and prepared for optimal taste. Yum!
I could spend a lot of time talking about these two areas of Colombia but suffice it to say we will return!
My topic here is about the experience and value of unplugging. Colin and I spent a lot of time hanging out, by design. Of course, we took walks and explored Cartagena and the mountains, but I also spent time just sitting and gazing at nature. I did two timed experiments of doing absolutely nothing for 30 minutes. Okay, that sounds easy, but try it!
I sat on the open porch of our rustic mountain Airbnb and just looked out on the lush mountains, watching the birds and the rain. I let my mind go where it wanted and observed it. At the end I jotted down notes in my journal. As my mind unwound, some creative ideas popped up—some related to personal life as well a few business ideas.
One outcome of the unplugged vacation was for me to commit to spending time just thinking. Last night I came across a quote from Henry Ford talking about the value of hiring smart people to run the day-to-day of his business so he could leave his mind clear to think. He said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is. That is why so few people engage in it.” This topic came up in my recent newsletter, Busy Is the New Stupid.
Besides just sitting and letting your mind go where it will, focused and directed thinking is powerful. My next step this week is to designate a “thinking spot” in my home and schedule regular time to ponder specific and relevant questions. Keith Cunningham, author of Keys to the Vault, has a free online course on this very subject!
Bottom line, during my unplugged vacation, life felt more spacious and simple. I brought that feeling back with me to work, along with a lot of gratitude for my life, my family and my team.
Thoughtfully,
Barbara Fagan-Smith
CEO, ROI Communication
Chief Catalyst, Living ROI
P.S. I can’t end this message without mentioning the many people from Venezuela we came across in Colombia—mostly begging in the streets. We helped some, but I now wish we had done much more. Upon returning, I read a harrowing account of the trek from the economically-collapsed country across the mountains to Colombia. This is a human disaster.
If you’d like to help, Richard Branson organized Venezuela Live Aid, and you can donate with confidence through that organization.
