In addition to throwing a party and receiving love and gifts from friends and loved ones, do you know that you can repurpose your birthdays to become a tool to empower yourself to transform and improve your life’s outcome?
Absolutely!
If you are also wondering how you can celebrate your birthday in a unique way, all you have to do is to schedule and have what I call A BIRTHDAY RETREAT. It is a tradition I’ve practiced every year for a while now. And honestly, this act alone has contributed immensely to a large chunk of the growth and self-discovery I’ve enjoyed in my life.
What Is a Birthday Retreat?
A birthday retreat is a period of time you take out on or before your birthday to reflect on the past year and prepare for what lies ahead.
I believe a birthday retreat should precede birthday parties and outings. I understand that parties keep you merry and full of life.
But if something really needs fixing in your life, a birthday retreat, not a party, will be the best solution for it. Otherwise, after the party, you’re back where that issue left off.
Why My Birthday?
Well, you can retreat at pretty much any time of the year or whenever you want. There’s even the New Year retreat everyone is familiar with.
The fact is that our lives are in seasons, so a retreat is usually more effective at the beginning and (or end) of every season.
If we fail to understand our past seasons and how we performed in them, we may not know how to do better in the next. And when we don’t get our seasons right, that great life we envision may remain out of our reach.
But there’s something that makes a birthday retreat different and more effective. It is the fact that your birthday is peculiar to you.
Except you’re a twin, you’ll likely celebrate your birthday alone. Even if you end up having friends and family around you throughout your birthday, you’ll still be the only one who goes through that milestone at that time.
So, taking time to retreat during your birthday can offer you a tremendous opportunity to examine your life, see what’s working and what’s not, and discover ways to improve your outcomes in all areas.
Why You Should Have a Birthday Retreat
A Birthday Retreat Can Help You Learn About Yourself
Self-knowledge (self-discovery and self-awareness) cannot happen by simply flowing with the tide and merely living life as it comes.
You need to pause at different intervals (as you go through life) to take a diagnostic look at your life to understand your life’s pattern and unique tendencies.
Guess what gives you that opportunity on a platter? A birthday retreat!
By examining your emotions, reactions, achievements, relationships, and success patterns over the past year, you can gain valuable insight into yourself.
A Birthday Retreat Helps You Rest and Recharge
Nothing beats being able to stay quiet and give your soul the rest it deserves from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This is why you should retreat as often as you can.
A birthday retreat is a great time to heal, recuperate, strategize, and position yourself for a life of impact and result. By the time you step into your new season, you won’t be doing so depleted and low on mental and physical energy.
Retreating During Your Birthday Increases Your Chances for Success
Success does not happen by chance. While the favor of God can give you results beyond your efforts, God has not called us to a life of mediocrity and negligence. You need to put in that effort to see that you succeed in whatever you lay your hands on.
When you make a habit of having retreats during your birthday, you give yourself the opportunity to take stock of your life and see what’s working and what isn’t.
With this insight, you can make changes where necessary, and set new goals and habits to improve your outcomes and increase your chances of success.
A Birthday Retreat Gives You the Quietness You Need to Connect to God
Life can be unbelievably busy. It can be so busy that we barely have time to sit still enough to connect with God and hear what He is saying to us.
But when you schedule some quiet time before your birthday, you make room to enjoy God’s presence for extended periods and understand His plans and will for your life and the next season.
Now, this is not to say that connecting with God should be something we do once every year—not at all. We must be able to hear what God has for us every day. But a birthday retreat is a good time to set the tone for your soul to keep experiencing enough quietness to enjoy God’s presence.
A Retreat Helps You Gain Clarity and Take Charge of Your Life
A birthday retreat allows you ample time for deep reflections on the happenings in your life.
When done properly, these reflections can help you gain clarity about your life. They can open you up to the understanding of where you currently are as against where you intend to be in the different areas of your life.
Once armed with this understanding, you can take charge of your life and direct it where you deem fit.
How to Carry Out Your Birthday Retreat (Or Any Retreat at All)
Choose a Date
This seems pretty obvious, but it is essential we mention it. Birthdays can be a pretty busy season—especially if you have a lot of friends and loved ones around. When you fail to set a specific date for your retreat, it may never happen, particularly if you are not used to retreating.
So, pick a date, preferably weeks or days before your birthday. Put that date on your calendar and then plan your birthday activities around it.
The best time to schedule your birthday retreat should be during the weekend, when the kids are in school or away at their grandparents, during a leave from work, or on a public holiday. You won’t need to have anyone around you during that time.
Choose A Quiet Location
Yes. That’s why it is called a birthday retreat. You won’t be needing distractions for about a few hours to a few days (if you have the capacity). So, you need a place where you can isolate yourself for a while.
If you have a space where you can be uninterrupted for the duration of the retreat, you can use your home. Otherwise, you may want to go to a cafe or book a room in a nice, quiet hotel.
Don’t forget to inform the important people in your life about your whereabouts if you won’t be using your home.
And yes. No phones. If you must use your device, disconnect it from the internet and ensure you won’t get any calls.
On The Day of Your Retreat
Right before your retreat, ensure you close all the tabs on your mind. Sort out that issue, send that report at work, make peace with that friend, and have dinner sorted for your family. You don’t want your mind drifting to things you left undone.
Download my birthday retreat journal prompts below for a step-by-step guide on how to carry out your birthday retreat.
Conclusion
What are you waiting for?
Don’t let another year slip by in regrets. Start now to take charge of your life by taking charge of every year you live.
If your birthday is still ahead, go ahead and pick a date for your retreat right away, download my guided journal here, and excitedly look forward to it.
