For some of us the vision of a retreat includes massage tables nestled under giant banana trees. I'm in for that for sure!
However – though that's an awesome plan for getting away from it all – that's not the only way to have a retreat. By definition, a retreat simply means to pull away from regular life (or the situation at hand.) A working retreat means, then, to pull away from regular life to do some work. While the inclusion of a massage table (and accompanying brilliant massage therapist) under tropical foliage would be an excellent addition to your working retreat, relaxation and massage are not the focus of a working retreat.
And therefore, you don't need to hop a plane to a tropical island in order to experience the fabulous productivity and rejuvenation that can come from a working retreat.
Remember – the reason to take a working retreat is to give yourself time, space and a creatively generative environment to get unusual amounts of work done. My working retreats involve long hours of beautiful and crazy-productive work. My best, most creative work gets done on retreats.
Listen to this video for some tips on how you can afford a working retreat, no matter how small your budget. I share the wide variety of places and ways I have taken working retreats (from completely free retreats to indulgent inn and spa retreats). And please, if you have your own ideas for affordable and awesome working retreat spots – share them with us in the comments.
(Originially posted on michellebarryfranco.com (with a few minor modifications here) in Jan. 2011 – but just as useful here today!)