I love the final scene from Tom Hanks’ 2000 movie Cast Away. After surviving a plane crash and four years of surviving alone in the wilderness, Hanks’ character finally delivers a FedEx package that he’d held onto as a metaphorical life-line while stranded. Now that this mission is accomplished, there’s nothing left for him to do. His choices are endless. Does he go back to his old life? Does he move forward, or does he turn in a completely new direction?

In my 54 years on this planet, I have faced some crossroads moments. I’m sure you have too. These are the moments where we find ourselves facing the unknown. Graduating from high school or college. A new relationship. A loss of a job. A divorce. An empty nest. A job offer. A death of a loved one. These moments can cause temporary decision paralysis. What should we do? What’s the right choice to make? What’s next?

I have found that the crossroads moments are easier to navigate because of my Personal Retreat Day practice. Once a month, every month, I set aside one full day to rest deeply, to reflect on the past 30 days, and to reorient to my next 30 days. This rhythm of rest, reflection, and reorientation has encouraged me to design a life filled with purpose. It’s helped me understand where I want to go in life, and has allowed me to pursue my goals one step at a time. 

When we moved back to the US after living in France for three years, that was definitely a crossroads season! I didn’t have a job, and my teen daughters no longer needed me 24×7 like when they were younger. So I found myself asking, “what am I going to do with my life now?” I took time to analyze my options during my Personal Retreat Days. I had always had a passion for teaching, maybe I could pursue that field. On the other hand, one of my favorite jobs was the one I’d had right out of college, working as a producer and program manager for a Public Television (PBS) station. Could I jump back into production again after all these years? 

My Personal Retreat Day practice allowed me to set aside big chunks of time to reflect, think, dream, and plan. This proved to be the key in helping me choose my next right steps. This happened over the course of several months’ worth of Personal Retreat Days, and my path evolved over time but ultimately led me to my dream job as a location scout for film, TV, and commercials.

My Personal Retreat Day practice allowed the crossroads to morph from an intersection of scary unknowns into a clear path filled with adventure!