Do any of you have a place you can go and just feel at peace? Where you don’t have a care in the world and can just let your mind wander?

For me this place is Abel Tasman National Park. I was introduced to this magical place by my wife about 5 years ago.

The National Park is surrounded by fabulous bush walks, pristine beaches and ocean, and a fantastic array of bird life. In many spots there is no cell phone reception and the weather in summer is superb. The bach we stay in has none of the modern day conveniences such as a washing machine, TV, or even light switches.

And this is what makes it so great. Despite the fact I lost my wedding ring on my last trip here, it truly is my happy place.

So why I am compelled to tell you about this?

slow down and take the time to think

We are always in such a hurry these days. Work is busy. Life is busy. And we tend to wear busy like a badge of honour.

When we are busy though, we don’t get to spend valuable time to think. And I don’t just mean sitting in front of the TV.

It’s important to think about life’s big stuff such as where we see ourselves in the next 1, 5, and even 20 years.

During this period of reflection we can come to realise that we are not happy and we need to change some things.

My last two times to Abel Tasman I have made life changing decisions.

The first time I learned how much stress I was under at my job and what damage it was causing to my health and relationships. I was severely overworked and extremely unhappy. And if I remained in the day to day grind I’m not sure I would have realised the full extent of the damage it was casuing.

Yet, with just a week away with no distractions, I came to the conclusion that I need to quit this job. I had mentioned to my employer about the workload, but they didn’t do anything about it. So quit I did. Even without another job to go to. It was one of the more bold things I had ever done, but I immediately felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. My health immediately improved and that is more important than any job.

The second trip was when I discovered how much I truly enjoyed helping people with their finances. Half a day a week volunteering was not enough for me. So, on this trip I drew up the initial 10 page plan for my financial advisory business.

My thinking was as clear as it had ever been because I had the time to slow down and think about things from a high level.

I wonder what revelations I will make on my next trip……

Final Thoughts

It is extremely difficult to control the direction of our lives when we are so busy that we don’t even have time to think. We are on auto pilot and our direction is controlled by other people.

It is extremely important to slow down occasionally with no distractions and to think about the direction you want to go, before you realise it is too late.

Take the wheel.

Time is our most precious resource in our lives, and we should be the one to decide how best to spend it. Not go through the life just going through the motions.

Your place for contemplation does not have to be a picturesque paradise. It just helps 😊

The point being that you just find the time every now and then to develop a plan for your life and set the right goals, instead of having others dictate your daily life.

The information contained on this site is the opinion of the individual author(s) based on their personal opinions, observation, research, and years of experience. The information offered by this website is general education only and is not meant to be taken as individualised financial advice, legal advice, tax advice, or any other kind of advice. You can read more of my disclaimer here