How to get work done and still have fun on vacation

Jan 11, 2014 | Sparkly Love

Aloha from Kauai!

At this very moment I am typing away on a large wraparound veranda overlooking the ocean and tropical jungle. I can’t imagine a place more beautiful and restorative. It’s exactly what I dreamed of when I booked my trip a month ago. A big thing for me when I travel is staying in places with positive, peaceful energy. When I went on Airbnb (my favourite booking site), I knew immediately from the photos that this magnificent, Thai-style jungle hut was going to satisfy my need to get away from it all and connect with my creative energy. I pictured myself staring off into the ocean, sipping something fruity, while juicy creative ideas flowed freely into my head. What could be better?!

Originally when I booked my weeklong trip, I intended to go alone. I’d never been on a ‘me-cation’ before, and many of my friends highly recommended the experience of being by yourself and exploring a new place. Thinking about travelling alone scared and excited me, which is usually a good reason to do something! After booking my trip to Kauai, I knew I made the decision because I posted on Facebook and had about 30 people comment about what a extraordinary place it is. Many also mentioned that they had travelled alone and what an amazing experience it had been for them too.

The weeks and days leading up to my me-cation I was having many doubts. For one, the place I booked is extremely remote and isolated so I had visions of going stir crazy with too many ideas and time on my hands. I also thought I would be very uncomfortable driving alone at night and would likely be lost much of the time. Plus, many of the activities I wanted to do like hiking and snorkelling were not the safest to do solo. What had originally seemed like a magical experience was now really freaking me out big time.

On the day before I was supposed to leave to Kauai, Jamie Smith my studio mate, and my brother Chandler both asked if they could join me on my Hawaiian adventure! I hadn’t mentioned to either of them that I was nervous about going alone, but maybe subconsciously they knew. It was like my thoughts manifested a solution to my discomfort and apprehension. As soon as they booked their flights I did a happy dance because I knew the three of us were going to have an absolute blast!

It’s been 4 days and so far we are having an awesome time exploring the island, hanging out at incredible beaches and making new friends. The property we are staying on is breathtaking and you should read Jamie’s blog to find out more. Overall, I’m having the time of my life!

One thing that hasn’t been so easy is dealing with feelings of guilt for not working while I’m here. Originally, when I decided to come to Kauai alone, my intention was to work on my book proposal for a handmade business guide. I pictured myself writing for 5 hours a day and taking beach breaks once I was satisfied with the work I’d done. But, since I now have my buddies here, it’s a different kind of vacation and as a result much harder to get a lot of writing done.

I felt guilt and failure when we were out doing fun activities because I wasn’t living up to the expectation I had in my head of all the stuff I wanted to do. It has even made it hard to sleep at night because my list of things I want to do keeps growing by the day. It’s super frustrating because I’m in the most beautiful place on Earth and struggling to fully enjoy it. What I figured out is that sometimes you just need to screw your to-do list!

What I am now focusing on is living in the moment instead of dwelling on what I should be doing. When I’m having fun, I’m fully present and enjoying it as much as possible. This causes a positive ripple effect because the positive energy and fulfillment from that experience helps to fuel my creativity later on. When I work, I am committed to working and shift my focus on what needs to be done instead of daydreaming on how awesome it would be to laying on the beach instead.

Being an entrepreneur is the greatest gift in the world, but sometimes it is hard to control ambitions and brain chatter. I can be a super hard-ass boss to myself and that I need to ease up and take it easy. By doing this, I know I will not only be more productive, but also be more relaxed and creative.

Thanks for reading, and now it’s time for Jamie, Chandler and I to head to the beach!

Mahalo,

Jenna

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Meet Jenna

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