I'm Back!
I would't say I had the MOST relaxing time but it was quiet and simple and that is exactly what I needed. As I said in my last post, I left town so I could really focus on creating a plan for myself. What started as a passion project has turned into a calling - I love what I'm doing here and I want to be thoughtful about how I can continue to do this for a long time!
I read some of Robert Kiyosaki's advice, he says if you want to run a successful business you must be good at managing three things: cash flow, people, and your personal time. So the first few days of my retreat were spent broadening my financial IQ. If I'm going to get good at managing cash flow, I should probably understand money better. And money has historically been a subject that scares the crap out of me. The pressure I feel to be responsible with my money coupled with how dumb I feel when I don't understand the numbers... it paralyzes me and my brain just shuts off.
In efforts to do this, I had bought myself a very rudimentary book plainly explaining how money works... sounds simple right? I wasn't even through the first chapter learning about stock and bonds before I was in an all out panic. And I hadn't even gotten to taxes yet! By day two I was on the phone with my dad in tears. I was feeling overwhelmed and deeply inadequate. I mean, I'm 30 years old, studying a book for teenagers on the basics of money and I felt in over my head... at this point I was not feeling too confident in myself.
My dad answered my questions the best he could over the phone but he also assured me that I wasn't going to skillfully tackle this subject in five days. He encouraged me to take a deep breath and allow myself to continue the learning process beyond my scheduled week away. I accepted his advice, closed my money text book and tried to focus on creating systems and processes to keep me organized and on task. If managing my personal time is another important skill to have as a business owner, I decided I should probably set myself up for success. (I read a lot of Om and the City's blog. She has tons of get tips and resources on being organized and productive!)
Now I'm back home and I still have a lot to learn! While I didn't leave with a brain full of newfound financial genius, I do understand some basics about money that I didn't two weeks ago. And I don't suddenly have a perfectly organized life but I do have a to-do list that I prioritize every day. In other words, I haven't magically transformed but I am a little closer to my goal! And I'm calling that a huge win!