This is a guest post written by contributor Audrea. 

I just returned from 8 days in Paris and feel like a new women. I have that refreshed, invigorated, seize the day type of glow that screams happiness. I feel focused and ready to take on the world. I woke- up this morning thinking, “How do I keep this feeling?”.

The solution can’t be to always be on vacation. That is not realistic at this point – one day hopefully but not for the foreseeable future. Seth Godin has a great quote that goes

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape.” 

This is my new spring goal and my own version of spring cleaning for the soul.Outlined below is my action plan:

1. Ease into my day and take time for me: I already get up pretty early (6am) to give myself time to work-out, walk the dog and have a slow cup of coffee, but I’m going to make an effort to wake up at 5:30 am each day. That extra half hour will give me the time needed for real “me” time to use for meditation or reading or anything else I want to do (including “sleeping in” on some days).
2. Break a sweat: On every vacation I usually get to work-out every day and this is something I want to continue to do while not on vacation. Now this doesn’t mean always hitting the gym. On my latest trip I walked a ton and considered that my workout. Breaking a sweat each day gets the heart pumping and gets the endorphins flowing. It’s good for you and good for the soul. For a quick work-out that is free and effective, try the videos on Blogilates.
3. Try something new each day: The best part of about vacation for me is that I am experiencing something new each day. Life has so many new things that you can experience. Whether it is an interesting new event (for my Boston people check out The Boston Calendar), trying a new recipe, going to a local museum or reading a book that you usually wouldn’t….Trying something new each day keeps life fresh and interesting.
4. Rest and renew: Whenever I am on vacation, I always seem to slow down and rest more. Getting enough sleep keeps your brain sharp and can even have an effect on keeping your weight normal. My new goal is to make sure I’m getting the 6 – 8 hours needed a night. I prefer 8!

I hope you all find a little bit of vacation every day. Happy Spring!