SOLVING PROBLEMS IS A RATHER DIFFICULT PROCESS, AND SOMETIMES MANY OF US FEEL LIKE THERE'S NOW WAY OUT. BUT AS ELINA DORONKINA REVEALS, THERE IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO SEEING OUR ISSUES FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

For centuries, the practice of taking time out to do something different has been recognised as a sure-fire way of recharging our batteries, igniting our enthusiasm and solving problems. In commerce it is sometimes called a sabbatical, others may call it going on retreat.

We could all benefit from this simple act of self-indulgence. You don't have to spend a week as a hermit on top of a mountain either. Just one day dedicated to you will release amazing benefits.

When you put a little distance between yourself and your routine, challenges or issues, you see them in a different light and from a different perspective. You may even create a few miracles for yourself as a result. These will come as flashes of intuition that can lead you to take the action needed to resolve the problem.

If you look at something, say an orange, and hold it close to your face so that it is touching your nose, you will see a very small part of it. Hold it at arm's length and you will see the whole orange, its texture and colours. Look at it from the other end of the room and you won't see the detail but you will see it in the perspective of its surroundings and in true proportion. It is the same with the issues and challenges we face in life every day. Add distance and you see them from a new angle.

This is true when you hold on to a problem for a very long time you lose your ability to analyse and seek effective solutions; your brain becomes numb, you cannot think of anything else but the given problem and cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel. Your mind is like an old exhausted vinyl record going over and over the same pattern. This process affects your ability to communicate with your intuition where you have all the answers. Stop the recording, break this boring non-effective routine and do something else.

We can easily find the solutions for our problems by taking some time out to gather some perspective. Follow these steps to getting the most out of the process.

1. Simply set a weekday date in your diary right now, when you will take off to the countryside, the hills or the beach.
2. Go by car, bike, train or on foot to somewhere that you have never been before, and where you can be sure that you will stay in solitude as long as you wish.
3. Set off early and plan to be out all day.
4. Leave your mobile phone at home and travel light.
5. Just wander around for the day, thinking of nothing and focusing on the ‘now' experience.
6. Look forward to it, keep it without guilt, and enjoy it.
7. Return refreshed.

Many people are amazed how easy this is. They are ‘off the leash' and just by being in a different place they find that their thoughts turn to solutions and answers rather than problems and challenges. Remember, you attract the things and create in life what you think about. Your one day retreat may be the one enjoyable change that you need to create those spectacular ‘miracle' results that you know you deserve.

Elina Doronkina is a certified success coach and NLP practitioner conducting her You Live Your Dream seminars and success attraction workshops in Sydney. For more information phone (02) 9649 9409 or visit www.youliveyourdream.com