Off The Grid: Hitting the Reset Button

I'm sitting here typing this, feeling very behind on my week as I recently just returned from a trip to Iceland. While I'm feeling a little bogged down playing catch up, I've also never felt more rejuvenated. It's amazing how a week off the grid will do this.

Ahead of my trip with my husband, I've been juggling my freelance gig, my business, and also a 90-day mastermind that is helping me with marketing and growing my business. Not to mention I have just wrapped up a writing workshop that has been taking up a good chunk of my time. I've been quite the renaissance woman lately, and quite frankly, my brain was starting to resemble scrambled eggs.

In full disclosure, I haven't been sleeping well during last month. I've fallen down one of those new entrepreneur "I want to do everything" rabbit holes. I'll wake up in the middle of the night completely consumed with all of these ideas, not even sure if they're good or not. I've been working extremely hard to make a name for myself in this thang called entrepreneur life, and it's easy to neglect yourself when you're trying to start a business and create opportunities for yourself.

Enter, Iceland.  

Visiting Iceland was honestly the breath of fresh air that I needed. It's one of those magical places that you can't believe exists outside of a postcard or National Geographic magazine. My husband and I planned this trip back in November, as the holidays are always a busy time of year for him (he works in retail). We wanted to take a nice trip post-holiday, to decompress after the busy fall season we both had.

I didn't realize how much I needed the time away. While quitting my job and starting my own business has allowed me the freedom to create my schedule and do the things that are meaningful to me, it's also a lot of pressure to make things happen and figure out how I can turn my business into a thriving and successful empire — not just a hobby that makes me a little extra cash. Bottom line, I needed some self-care, stat. Travel is a great way to hit the reset button and allow yourself the headspace to gain further clarity on what's important to you.

If there's one thing I have learned through this last year of self-exploration, it's that I'm a better version of myself when I take a break and come back to my work. I've previously mentioned that I used to pride myself on being the person who was always connected to my email and always accessible; but to be honest, that sh^t doesn't matter to me anymore. Those emails will still be there when the vacation is over, and I'll respond better by giving myself space to breathe and approach them with a clear head.

OK, so back to Iceland. Check this out — my husband and I took a drive from Reykjavik to Nesjavellir, which was where our next hotel was located. The drive was about an hour and incredibly life-changing for me. We were legit in the middle of nowhere driving through mountains and long, snow-covered roads with amazing vistas. We stopped in the middle of the street to take really cheesy selfies and pet Icelandic ponies. I was feeling so alive and so free in these moments, that I could feel any worry and stress sort of take a backseat. That's the sweet spot, Y'all. Once I cleared my head and allowed myself to enjoy the moment, I was able to welcome in those amazing little clarity nuggets that enabled me to get more focused when I got back from the trip.

You need to quiet your mind, to make room for the beautiful noise...

I didn't read that on Instagram, that actually just came to me. If you're feeling stuck whether you are an entrepreneur or not, sometimes the answer is to do you and take a trip. Maybe it isn't Iceland. Maybe it is back to your hometown. Whatever resonates with you, just go with it. There's something about a change of scenery that's really nourishing for the soul. When I was throwing snowballs at my husband with no one in sight but the random horse that was staring at us, I realized my business isn't going to be right unless I'm right.

Take the trip. Life is happening, people. The end.