This the inspirational personal story of Wouter Scheepens, Entrepreneur | Adjunct Professor | Board member | Author

When I first talked to Wouter about the power of time off, his first reaction was ‘I don’t think you can ever expect me to become one of your clients’. To be honest, I was shocked and surprised but respected his choice. Several months later I received a phone call from Wouter about wanting to join one of our retreats. Maybe you totally understand his initial reaction, and would react in the same way? If so, read his personal story and get inspired!

Before

‘After many happy but intense years running both a family with three teenagers and my own company, I planned a three-month sabbatical.  Broadly speaking, for two purposes. Firstly, to disconnect from my work, to relax and to enjoy nice things. Secondly: I also wanted to use the latter part of my sabbatical to reflect on my work in the years to come. How can I (better) combine things I like to do and what additional pathways can I explore? I wanted to combine both having fun and productivity.

I decided to connect with Ingrid from the power of time off. I’ve known her for many years, and know that whatever she does, she does with her heart and a lot of professionalism and expertise. We talked about how to spend these three months of my sabbatical and I expressed my intention to join one of the retreats. Although it felt slightly unreal to sign up for a retreat, I knew that this is what I needed and that I would be in safe hands.

When working in my business there is always a high pressure to deliver the best results. In the past I have tried several things to disconnect a bit. For example, I participated in a mindfulness course but didn’t manage to keep up regular and frequent meditation. I also once downloaded a mindfulness app but after four days stopped using it. I thought it would be great if the retreat could give me some experience, guidance and practical skills to help me integrate moments of stillness and mindfulness into my daily life and work.’

After

‘The power of time off created an environment enabling me to step totally out of my hectic daily-life. I was able to fully focus on revitalizing and there was a lot of time and guidance for reflection. I gained new insights to take home to my daily personal and professional life. The pleasant and knowledgeable facilitators are 100% committed to providing you with an experience with long-lasting impact, in a wonderful environment in wild nature. I can thoroughly recommend talking to Ingrid to create a the power of time off project.’

Wouter Scheepens