When was the last time you really relaxed and cleared your mind?

They say a long-weekend isn’t really a vacation because it takes at least 3 days to actually relax. That doesn’t mean it takes three days to clear your mind. People do that every day through deep breathing techniques, meditation and the like.

It is to say, however, that even with mind clearing that comes in the day to day, it’s challenging to get that truly big picture perspective all the time – or even often enough.

And I’m a big picture guy! That’s my job: to look at tons of pieces at once and see the bigger trajectory in order to turn a company around.

Yet even so, I am sometimes challenged with seeing the big picture above the pieces – or the forest through the trees, as it were.

That’s why I make efforts to take time off from my central focus of work and grind and work and grind to free my mind – relax – and get some big picture perspective.

One of my favorite retreats is Hilton Head Island, where I can sit for hours on the beach, relaxing my mind. I go very often, and this relaxation brings me to a place of much greater awareness, allowing me to see the bigger picture.

Armed with that clarity, I can then take action towards resolving each of the pieces I saw before, but with the oversight and direction of larger guidance.

Why bring this up now?

Well, after a week abroad relaxation is finally sinking in, and I am enjoying the clarity of mind that only comes with the extended removal of life’s general daily groove and grind.

And it’s marvelous.

What do you do to clear your mind and get that big picture perspective?