When I first hosted my first ever Retreat in 2013 I was so anxious, overwhelmed and panicked!

• Would I be able to be the host to the women who’d joined my Mastermind?
• Would I forget what I was supposed to be doing?
• Would they know my knees were knocking as I started the Retreat?
• Oh my goodness, what have I done!

All these natural and, of course, unhelpful thoughts were rushing through my mind as we gathered at a boutique hotel in the Essex countryside.

Well, I’ve just hosted my 20th Retreat and what a difference practice and muscle memory makes!

I know it’s obvious but when you allow yourself to be in the moment, when you lean on the structure of what you know and have already created AND expect the unexpected, you make it special for yourself and those involved.

We returned to the same hotel in the Essex countryside.  

Two of our members weren’t able to be live with us but we Zoomed them in from the US and from Spain and it all worked perfectly or, perfectly imperfectly…a few WiFi dips but then all good.

A combination of career strategy masterminding with a glammy dinner and a hit of Dopamine from a colour-related shopping trip made for a special time together.

Learning to stay loose in the moment is a life-long quest Amanda.  

I’ve learned that everything you do once and then do-over is training.  

Training or the next one.  Even after 20 Retreats now I recognise things I’ve learned this time, would do again, would do differently (if/when there’s a next time…)

If you’re anything like me (and my faithful ‘Robin’ to my ‘Batman, Sarah) you want to have it all mapped out but, as we know, you can only anticipate so far!

What I realised though as we set off in our special Retreat space was how far I’d come personally and how much I’d learned whilst in training…

You must realise this too if you give yourself a moment’s credit!

• How you react and respond to curved balls…
• How you’re able to think more on your feet rather than plan it all out
• How you let go of perfection and go with more-than-good-enough
• And a myriad of other learnings and experience you can lean on.

It takes me a good two or three days to decompress and feel like I’m home.  I keep wondering “Sarah, what’s happening now?” and then realise, I’m home and it’s all good!

What’s interesting too Amanda is whether this was my final Retreat.  It was…and maybe it wasn’t?

I’m allowing myself the time and space to see what comes up AND, as Natasha Beddingfield’s wonderful song goes “The rest is unwritten...”

Please do just hit reply to share with me your thoughts about how you acknowledge how much you’ve learned and have as experience to lean on and if or how this eZine has resonated with you.

I read and reply to every response and it’s always good to hear from you.

A final word on the matter…

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And in other news…

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Miss Thelma is growing and Douglas has now accepted that a) she’s staying and b) she’s a hound rather than a guinea pig!  Playtime is boisterous and I’m referee…