I’m ready to get away.

My husband, youngest son and I are heading south to the sun for March Break. Oh, I LOVE living in our multi-season hemisphere. But this winter’s frigid cold has settled itself deep into my bones. We seem to get snow storm after snow storm after snow storm. I’ve lost the feeling in my finger tips.

So yes. I’m ready for the heat, a hat, a bag of books, and the beach.

In fact, I’m feeling OVERdue. The last time I got away – really unplugged – was over a year ago. And it was all cloaked in a bit of mystery.

Here’s what happened.

A full 7 months out I booked myself into a ‘Spiritual Retreat’ in Costa Rica. It was the first time I’d gone away solo since EVER (excluding business trips).

Without knowing anyone but the retreat leader, I would join a small group of women in Costa Rica for a week. Completely unplugged, with a focus on self-care and limited outside contact. I told everyone I was going on a yoga retreat, because somehow going away for my physical health seemed less…. ‘indulgent’ than leaving work and family for a week ‘just’ to decompress. (I knew there’d be daily yoga practice, so it seemed like a reasonable thing to say.)

The experience was extraordinary. I truly ‘unplugged’ from work and checked in with my family very briefly each day. I had good stretches of quiet time; I read several books, wrote in my journal and soaked up the natural setting. While away from work, I gained clarity ABOUT my work. It was on this retreat that I formed solid ideas about and committed to this blog and my podcast I'm a Millionaire! So Now What? (listen & subscribe here).

Through these vehicles I talk about money, wealth and real riches. And if you’re a regular reader/ listener you know that I see wealth as much more than your balance sheet or your net worth. Dollars are units of freedom; real riches give you freedom from money worries so you can focus on the impact you want to have in this world.

There’s a fascinating text written in 1910 called The Science of Getting Rich and it opens with this:

“Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich. No one can rise to his greatest possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty of money, for to unfold the soul and to develop talent he must have many things to use, and he cannot have these things unless he has money to buy them with.”

I quote this to emphasize what I’ve learned to be true:

Wealth DOES NOT equal greed. In fact, wealth opens space for MORE innovation and impact.

When I invite you to double your net worth by 2030, to become a millionaire by 2030, I want the result to be that you free yourself from money worries, and use the energy not taken up with fretting, planning, compulsively calculating… use that energy to make a positive impact on your community and your world.

Having a chance to decompress and clear space for big ideas and insights changed the trajectory of my work and my business. Going on that retreat was game-changing for me. (If you’ve never done something like this, I highly recommend you give yourself that gift!) Unloading the pressure of financial stress opens you up the same way. So you can “rise to your greatest possible height in talent or soul development.”

I’m excited at getting away this year. While I’ll have my family around, I know there will be lots of free time and space for new ideas. Who knows what I’ll come back thinking about, committed to, and ready to change?!

And while I’m away, I’ve got you covered – I’ve scheduled regular updates to this blog and I’m a Millionaire! So Now What? – the podcast.

If you want to know more about the Roadmap to Real Riches, and like my fresh perspective about wealth management that optimizes how you spend, save & share your wealth, visit colleenoconnellcampbell.com – specifically the Real Riches Roadmap tab to apply for your Prosperity Discovery Session.

I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m home.