The Chinese New Year holidays were upon us, and I was booked to go on a course in Ubud, Bali, for ten days, which overlapped with most of that holiday. I had thought long and hard about whether or not to go, but the course beckoned me strongly and I booked myself in.

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A few days before departure, I received word that the course was cancelled. What to do? I had no refund on flights or hotel bookings, and had spent enough money to not want to see it go to waste. I decided to go. And I made a pact with myself.

“Make it a working holiday,” I decided. My reasoning was that if I was going at a time when my husband was off for a long weekend and my kids were off school for a week, there had to be a good reason for me to leave them. My business was “under renovation” and I had much to clarify. I was also writing a book, the writing of which had drizzled off a bit in the past week.

Therefore, I set a goal to be as productive as I could, whilst making sure to eat well, get some exercise, take care of my body, and be mindful about the way I went about things.

Upon arriving in Ubud, which is dotted with raw food, vegan cafes, I am normally bursting to go out and try each and every old and new restaurant, to get inspiration from the menus, to see what’s the trend, and eat my way through town. This time, however, my body told me it was time for a cleanse. “Ugh”, I flustered. “Why now? I’ve just arrived in my personal food paradise, and my body wants me to cleanse?”

With genuine interest this time around, I asked again: “Why now?” The answer was clear: I was here alone, it was the spot-on opportunity to go on a liquid diet, without having to sit through meals watching others eat, and without causing distress for those with whom I was eating. Also, this was the perfect place to get probiotic drinks, fresh coconut water, cold-pressed green juices, and nutritious smoothies without having to make them myself or instruct someone else to do them, and for a good price.

Furthermore, I got the inclination that it was time to go for a colonic, and duly booked myself in. This motivated me to stay on liquids, because otherwise I would have faltered. I have just walked out of that colonic, enjoyed an aloe vera, apple and turmeric drink (my yellow lips are proof of this), and I am drinking a coconut probiotic drink as I write this. I feel lighter and cleaner. As always during cleanses or fasts, the biggest cleanup often happens on a mind-spirit level. It strips a person of much of their ego, and that humility is a great sensation.

As I reflect on my four days and five nights so far, I can say that I’ve accomplished a lot more than I would have back home in Singapore. Let me break down why:

• I’ve had the freedom to sleep in, and yet have been up at 7am every morning, enjoying long mornings in my room whilst getting stuff done before going out for a morning juice.

• I’ve paced my activities around my own rhythm and desires, minus some errands and bookings I’ve had.

• With few interruptions (I still get involved in family life from a distance, checking in on taekwondo classes and the such), what I do with my time has been up to me. What a luxury, and also: no excuses to hide with.

• This same point: there are no excuses. The person I’m holding myself accountable to the most is myself. I will not let myself down. I will rise to the occasion, and get X, Y and Z done, and if I can and desire, I might tick off some other letters of the alphabet as well.

• I’ve been determined that whenever I leave the room, it’s as much for the exercise of the walking and the getting out, as it is to create more content and get more clarity.

I visited a few of my favourite shops, toured Big Tree Farms for the fifth time, getting much new information for a presentation I will be giving soon, and had one massage.But I haven’t even visited some of my regular joints, or made the effort to visit some new ones, which I normally would have done.

Instead, I’ve sipped slowly on my green juices and chewed away at my smoothies, whilst focused on reading and writing, WhatsApping with my husband and KPI accountability group whenever a new idea is formulated. Despite the on/off WiFi, I’ve been well connected, and have been in contact so much with my family and accountability group, that I don’t think anyone really misses me. I mean, of course they do, but not that much.

What kept me motivated was the knowledge that I had ten days, maybe less, as is the case now, since I am off for the last four days to do some personal development. It feels like I’ve been here a week, but it’s only been four productive working days, in which time I’ve got my book up to 30,000 words and the structure laid out, with my product method clear.

Am I recommending something here? I sure am. There are times when the best way to get things done is to remove yourself from your normal environment.

Perhaps that sacrifice of being away from family “just to get stuff done” will really motivate you to get a lot more done than you had bargained for. Perhaps a pricey hotel room and flight tickets will drive you even further.

Seven Tips For Setting Goals For A Working Holiday

These address not only work, but also body, mind, and soul.

1. Work: Choose one or two significant people or places you feel are beneficial to your business. Schedule them in and be effective about them.

2. Work: Set clear goals for tasks that must be done and are realistically achievable.

3. Body (outside in): Interlace your working holiday with treats, such as massages and foot reflexology. After all, you do need breaks, and aren’t these the type of things you often say you are too busy for? Same as for working: no excuses. Ironically, a working holiday is your chance to de-stress. Book in a massage for every few days. Without a booking you may not go, or they may be fully booked.

4. Body (inside out): Nourish your body with wholesome food, or take it a step further and do a cleanse. If you’ve never done one before, stick to the wholesome foods, and drink less alcohol and coffee, increasing your water intake. If you are familiar with cleanses, you will know how to follow your body’s cues.

5. Mind: Take plenty of Post-it notes and take this chance to de-clutter your mind. Use the hotel room as your mind-room. I had Post-it notes plastered across the TV screen and tabletop.

6. Soul: Go to bed early with the intention of nurturing your soul. Ask for any messages that can be passed on to you through dreams. We all sleep, so this is a really simple one.

7. Soul: go for mindful walks and leave work behind in your mind-room. Enjoy the nature and breathe as you walk, tuning inwards to your senses so as to be more receptive of the outside.

Four Tips For Choosing A Location

1. Go somewhere familiar, where you aren’t constantly being tempted to see the sights, and won’t feel like you are missing out.

2. Choose a place with nourishing and tasty food, because it is a great opportunity to go “dry” for a while and cut back on unhealthy foods. This is for those of you who feel your health would benefit from it and are ready to take it a step further. All you need is three to four days, and you will already feel a lot better.

3. Make sure it’s WiFi-connected, since this is one holiday where you do want to be connected.

4. Check that it’s conducive to working. What sort of environment do you work best in? Quiet or vibrant? Do you café-hop or prefer to stay in your room? Are you a city-view gal or more of a fan of rice fields?

Follow these simple tips, and you are bound to produce more on holiday than at the office. Go on–it’s time to book your next “holiday”.

I am designing a 2016 Spring Bali Retreat. This retreat is for women by women. Let me know in the comments what an ideal retreat in Bali would be like for you!