In this working retreat series, I've covered:
- What is a working retreat and why you really should take one
- Where to go on working retreat
- How to afford a working retreat on any budget
And in this final video on what to do on your working retreat, I'll share the way I structure my own working retreat days to get the most out of the experience. I'll talk about the flow of the day(s) – digging in, expansion, contemplation. I also talk about the ways I weave in fun and non-working breaks.
In this video, I also share with you some essential supplies for a fun and productive working retreat. In case you need this supply list in writing, here it is:
- large whiteboard (two, ideally)
- many colors of dry erase pens
- large flip chart size post-it paper
- many colors of sharpies or watercolor based flip chart pens.
- Also useful: a blank calendar, healthy food & drinks and walking shoes.
Note: I don't know how I didn't mention it in the video but I get tons of writing and video production done on working retreats as well. After all of that planning, checking in with my vision and contemplation, I often get to the gritty work of pen to paper (letters on screen) and set up a video studio to shoot a bunch of videos in the beautiful space of my retreat. So consider putting big writing and video, painting or other art-centered projects on the “To Do” list for your working retreat. They are perfect for the retreat energy!
(Originially posted on michellebarryfranco.com (with a few minor modifications here) in Jan. 2011 – but just as useful here today!)
