The Luxury Retreat: How the Ultra-Successful are Making Lifelong Connections in Exotic Places (And You Can Too!)

Getting a massage on a porch overlooking a picturesque mountainscape. Listening to birds and the gentle ringing of ceremonial bells. Feeling that all is right and peaceful in the world, if only for this one perfect moment. Sounds like the ultimate vacation, right?

And yet, to the most successful people in the world, luxury retreats are an integral part to unlocking new levels of achievement.

The rich don’t just go on luxury retreats to relax and unwind. Of course, they do all that, but they also use these experiences to build their empire.

Why are more and more successful people using exotic getaways as a powerful tool for expanding their network and negotiating big moves? And more importantly for those of us without a private jet — how can we use the same principles in our own lives to reach our goals?

Bonding Makes Allies

When we go through enlivening new experiences, a couple of things happen. We get endorphins pumping through us. Depending on what we are doing, we might have adrenaline, too.

That’s why all your memories of your “big firsts” are stuck in your head. They shine out, undiminished after all these years. That’s because those feel-good chemicals help lay down strong memories.

But they also help you bond incredibly fast with new people. When you go on exciting retreats with potential partners, you rapidly build human-to-human trust and understanding. It’s a way to fast track relationships and ensure those bonds are remembered for a long time to come.

Thinking Big

It’s hard to worry about the little things when you are visiting a mountaintop citadel built by ancient people. That’s another key to this strategy: new, grand situations provoke big thinking.

To really be visionary, you have to rise out of the details that usually bog us down from day-to-day. It also gives new perspectives on the places we call home. What is everyone missing? It’s hard to find the answer when you're managing a work schedule, fielding emails, and trying to make time for dinner plans.

Like Meets Like

Another advantage to this style of vacation is that the rich and well connected are likely to meet each other.

If you go to a library, you’ll run into a bunch of readers. If you go to the hardware store, you’ll run into a bunch of DIYers. So, naturally, if you go to expensive, far-flung resorts, you’ll run into other people with resources and connections.

Return on Investment

So that’s great for those with the money. But how does it help the rest of us?

Those principles are true for everyone.

While you might not be able to fly off to a luxury retreat in the Andes just this second, you should still prioritize these kinds of expenses.

You might not be able to do quite as big of a retreat or as often as a multi-millionaire, but the return on investment for these trips is important to remember. You can also start more locally or modestly before ramping up to a luxury retreat. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Start small, work up to big. There are just too many advantages to not try it.

Especially now that travel restrictions are lifting, don’t let 2022 slip by without experiencing at least one. It could be the catalyst for big things. But you have to prioritize it.