Page 178 - Talane Miedaner - Coach Yourself to a New Career_ 7 Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life (2010)

166 COACH YOURSELF TO A NEW CAREER

of your own house. You are easy to find there, for one thing, and
you just have too many distractions—something always needs
doing in our own digs. When you are in someone else’s house, the
fact that the eaves need painting isn’t going to bother you, because
it isn’t your problem.
Try to go away for at least three days if you can, but if you can’t,
even one day off the beaten path can make a difference. Many mon-
asteries allow people to stay for free or for a small donation. Pack
light: a simple bag with minimal clothes, a journal to record your
thoughts, and that is about it. The point is to get away from it all—
not drag it all along with you. Turn your cell phone off, and don’t
watch TV or surf the Internet. This is your time to be with your
own thoughts, so give yourself a reprieve from the newspapers and
magazines and the news broadcasts. When I lived in New York City,
I used to take weekends to go to the Shivananda Yoga Ranch. It was
inexpensive and rustic. One time they had a silent weekend, and
we weren’t allowed to speak for the duration. That was a wonderful
and calming experience for someone who likes to talk!
All the same, it may be that you flat-out don’t have the time,
energy, or money to leave your home even for a weekend. Let’s
say you don’t have the vacation time left, or the mere thought of
going anywhere exhausts you: then take a miniretreat in your own
abode. Tell your friends and family that you are going to be away,
and then unplug your phone, hide your TV, and make your home
into a minispa. Start each day with a special ritual, and when you
come home from work, light a candle, meditate, or take a hot bath
and let the stresses of the day drain away. Try to eliminate the petty
annoyances. Get your bill-paying out of the way, just as you would
do before leaving on a real vacation, so that you can free your mind
to think and relax. Spend some time in nature if you can. Go for
long walks, listen to music, write in your journal, get a massage.
If there are family members in your home, you’ll have to take
a retreat without them. If necessary, ask someone to take the kids
for a weekend so that you have more than two minutes to get your
thoughts together. Leave your partner behind too—you need to
sort this out yourself, and a little absence will do your relationship