For nearly three years I have wanted to host a workshop retreat. I finally did it. What was stopping me this whole time? Who knows exactly (a lot of inner mind talk I’m sure). What was the shift that made three years of dreaming finally come to fruition? Picking a date and committing. It really was that simple. Ha! You laugh. I’m laughing. Really? Picking a date and then BAM! I had an event. Well, yes and no.

 

Picking a date in itself seems easy, but the runaround that had to happen for me to choose the “perfect” date was a little more challenging. All the voices in my head were offering their wisdom and opinion at the same time (that’s never happened to you, right?):

 

“You can’t have it during the week, people can’t take off work.”

“You can’t have it on a Saturday, you would miss the boys’ soccer and football games.”

“You can’t have it on Sunday, that’s family day.”

“You have to have it during the week so it’s a conscious choice to put yourself first.”

“You have to do it first and foremost on a day that you’re available!… Heck, I’m hosting the darn thing so it would probably be a good idea if I were available.”

 

There were a host of other voices chiming in too, but ultimately it came down to that last one. It was my event, so in order to really make it work, it probably needed to be on a day that fit into my calendar. And so, it was.

 

Now, I don’t want you to think this post is all about me. Really. Aside from celebrating with you, I really do have a teaching point. Can I share it with you?

 

Decision is the first step in any action. Commitment is what follows. Then, and only then, after you have made the commitment, all the details fall into place – they figure themselves out. 

 

This isn’t to say that you don’t have to work hard. Quite the opposite in fact. But, if you have a clear commitment and a clear vision of your expectations (including what you can be okay with in terms of “good enough” – because trust me, if you wait for everything to be perfect you will be waiting for a very, very, very long time my friend), then it merely comes down to setting the intermittent goals to achieve the big one.

 

Can I tell you how it all panned out for me?

 

I won’t bore you with all the tiny details, but I will share this: within six weeks of committing and picking the date, I planned, created, enrolled, hosted and delivered my event. The “Full Day Suite Retreat.” Six weeks start to finish. Not bad, eh?

 

Here’s the gist of it. The down and dirty. The rough breakdown… My intention was to have 6-8 women in an intimate, casual setting for a full day, all inclusive experience. I wanted to keep it simple. I was very clear about that from the start – and throughout the six weeks I had to reel myself in a few times, and I’m glad I did. I had six wonderful women join me, and they were amazing. We comfortably shared the day together upstairs in a hotel suite at the beautiful Whitney Peak Hotel in downtown Reno. Bonus for the hotel being a non-smoking, non-gaming location. Happy dance!

 

I led these beautiful women through my process of permission and self-care, with plenty of time for learning, laughing, working and reflection. I honestly could not have asked for the day to go any better. It was a perfect experience – not only for me, but for the women who trusted me with their time for an entire day. Yes, all day long! It was an honor. It was a big responsibility. It was a gift. It was a success. So much of a success that I can’t wait to do it again!

 

I’m already looking at the calendar and reaching out to everyone who raised their hand and said “pick me!” What a wonderful feeling…

 

None of this would have happened if I hadn’t first made the decision to host an event, committed to a date, figured out what was good enough to make it happen, and then got ‘er done!

 

Here’s my question for you: What are you waiting to do because circumstances aren’t perfect just yet? What is one thing you’ve been wanting to accomplish but haven’t had the courage to start? When are you going to finally decide, and just do it?

 

It takes courage and faith to decide and commit without knowing all the details – without knowing the how. But you’ll never get to experience the thrill of the accomplishment if you don’t get out of your dream and move into action.

 

Are you ready? I believe you are…

 

Here’s to the BEST version of You!

Pamela Zimmer – Author, Speaker, Mentor and “Self-Care Queen”

 

p.s. If you’d like to know when the next Full Day Suite Retreat will be, just send a quick email to info@pamelazimmer.com and we’ll get you on the list.