One of the most common reasons potential retreat leaders put their dreams on hold is this: “The daily grind is just too overwhelming these days, and there’s too much going on.”

And truthfully, I totally understand. I really do.

There are seasons of our lives when it feels like everything is happening at once. For example, I’m in one of those seasons myself.

I’m selling my business. There are big changes that go along with that. I have aging parents. My husband and I are still dealing with his house in St. Pete, Florida, after the back-to-back hurricanes that hit the area almost 2 years ago.

And I know so many folks that are in the same place. (Maybe even you!)

They have family responsibilities, health issues, aging parents, demanding jobs, fiscal pressures, relationship changes, business responsibilities, and a never-ending list of things that need their attention.

So I want to say this with so much compassion: Yes, our lives may be full.

But that does NOT mean your dreams have to sit on the shelf.

The Myth of Ideal Timing

Many people believe there will eventually be an “ideal” time to create their retreat.

A time when the kids are older.
A time when work calms down.
A time when their parents do not need as much help.
A time when their finances feel easier.
A time when they feel more confident.
A time when the house is fixed, the inbox is empty, the calendar is spacious, and every loose end is neatly tied up with a bow.

But for most of us, that time never comes. 

There’s RARELY a season when everything is calm, predictable, and perfectly organized. And if you wait until nothing else needs your attention, you may be waiting forever.

And this is where so many beautiful business and retreat dreams quietly die because they kept waiting for things to become easier before they could give themselves permission to begin.

Successful People Do Not Necessarily Have More Time

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that successful people are not always the people with the most available time.

Often, they’re the people who have learned how to keep moving even when the timing isn’t ideal and they don’t feel completely ready.

They don’t wait until every other responsibility disappears. They learn how to take the next small step despite those responsibilities.

And this has absolutely been true for me.

I don’t believe I’ve been successful because things have been easy for me or because I had endless time to devote to my goals (because it hasn’t been easy and I haven’t had time).

I believe I’ve been successful because I’ve always found a way to keep moving forward, even if those movements were small.

Sometimes it was one focused hour.
Sometimes it was 30 minutes or one 15-minute task.
But those small actions added up.

And that’s the part people underestimate.

Small Actions Are Not Small When You Keep Taking Them

In creating a successful business, even small wins matter because they create momentum. And that matters deeply for retreat leaders.

Because creating a retreat can feel enormous when you look at the whole thing at once.

For example: You need a theme. A retreat outcome. A location. Proper pricing. Legalities dealt with. Marketing. A retreat trip page. An itinerary. A way to fill the retreat. A way to care for people once they are there.

But seriously, no one creates a retreat in a day.

You create it one decision, one step, one conversation, one piece of copy, one email, one venue inquiry, one courageous step at a time.

That’s how anything meaningful is built.

The Problem’s Not Always Time, It’s Everything-or-Nothing Thinking

For many people, the real obstacle is not actually time. It is that everything-or-nothing thinking.

They believe that if they can’t spend five hours, for example, working on their business or their retreat, there’s no point in doing anything.

But this is exactly how dreams stall.

Everything-or-nothing thinking makes us believe that small actions don’t count.

But they do count! Fifteen minutes a day is NOT nothing.
Fifteen minutes a day is 105 minutes a week.
And that is seven and a half hours a month.
Which is 90 hours a year.
And 90 focused hours can change the entire direction of your retreat business.

Make the Step So Small You Can Actually Do It

This is important because when things are busy, even if you’re motivated to create your retreat, if the next steps feel too big, too vague, or too overwhelming, you probably will not do it!

Instead, break things down. Stop thinking “I need to plan my entire retreat this month,” and shift your thinking to:

This Monday, I’ll write down three possible retreat themes.
The next day, I’ll research one destination.
The day after that, I’ll email one venue.
The day after that, I’ll write the first draft of my retreat pain points.
The day after that, I’ll make a list of 10 people who might be interested.
And the day after that, I’ll spend 15 minutes thinking about the transformation I want my participants to experience.

That’s enough to keep your dream alive and moving forward.

Plans Beat Good Intentions

Research shows that people are more likely to move forward when they decide in advance exactly when and how they’ll do something.

So instead of saying: “I need to work on my retreat.”
Say: “After I have my coffee tomorrow morning, I’ll spend 15 minutes outlining my retreat theme.”

Or: “Every Tuesday after lunch, I’ll send one venue inquiry.”
Or: “Before I hop on social media in the evening, I’ll write one paragraph of my retreat trip page.”

This may sound simple, but simple is powerful. Vague dreams are easy to postpone. And specific actions are easier to take.

The Day-to-Day Insanity Will Always Be Happening

I also want to acknowledge that some seasons of our lives are genuinely challenging.

Caregiving, for example, is not a small thing. AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving reported in 2025 that 63M American adults – nearly one in four – were providing ongoing care to adults or children with illnesses or disabilities.

That’s a LOT of people carrying a lot of responsibility.

So this is not about pretending daily living is easy or pushing yourself into burnout. Nor is it about ignoring your family, your health, your grief, your finances, or the real responsibilities sitting in front of you either.

It is about refusing to abandon yourself in the middle of the daily grind.

Your dreams matter. Your calling matters. And the business and the retreat you’re here to create matters too.

And sometimes honoring that dream doesn’t mean making a giant leap. Sometimes it means committing to one small step and doing it.

Your Retreat Biz Does Not Need Your Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the killer of dreams. Truly, you don’t need everything figured out before you begin.

You just need to be willing to take ONE TINY step every day. That’s it.

Because when you take one small step, you start to become the kind of person who follows through.

And when you follow through repetitively, you start to trust yourself and your confidence grows. And then, your dream starts to feel less like a fantasy and more like something you’re actually building!

Start With 15 Minutes

So here’s my loving challenge to you….

Stop waiting for the ideal time. Choose one small step you can take this day or week. Not next month. Not when things calms down. And not when you feel completely ready!

Set a timer for 15 minutes and do one thing that moves your business and retreat forward. Make one decision. Take one step.

Because your future will never come to fruition unless you do.

Your success is created by the small, brave actions you take in the season you’re already in. And those small actions? They matter more than you think.

So let me know what YOU think. Do you agree? What has your experience shown you?

xox Sheri