Join us in welcoming this week's guest blogger, Dr. Patton McDowell, CFRE, MBA!

When I told my family I was heading out for a solo weekend retreat - just me, a yellow legal pad, a flip chart, and a wall calendar - they gave me that look. You know the one. Equal parts confusion and mild concern.

“Wait… what organization’s retreat are you facilitating?”

“Nope,” I said. “This one is just for me.”

It’s ironic, isn’t it? As nonprofit leaders, we regularly pour time, energy, and resources into planning retreats for our organizations. We clear calendars, travel across town, spend hours on mission statements and strategy (while quietly debating how many pieces of candy from the snack basket is too many). Yet, when was the last time you gave yourself even a fraction of that time to reflect on your leadership?

That’s where the Personal Planning Retreat comes in. It’s a structured, intentional time to step back from your work - not to escape your responsibilities, but to reframe them with clarity and purpose.

Here’s the case for investing in one, and how to make it worthwhile.

Why a Personal Planning Retreat?

Let’s be clear: this isn’t a vacation.

Yes, you absolutely need rest and recharge time, but this is different. This isn’t about unplugging entirely. It’s about plugging into your purpose. It’s reflective and productive. It’s thinking about your leadership on purpose, not just in reaction to what’s happening around you.

If you’re like most nonprofit leaders I work with, you’re juggling strategy meetings, donor visits, team challenges, and a never-ending to-do list. It’s easy to go months - years, even - without pausing to ask: Is the path I’m on still the one I want to be walking?

A personal retreat allows you to:

• Check in on your vision, not just your calendar
• Reconnect with what fuels you
• Evaluate your progress - and your blind spots
• Strategically plan your next season, not just your next week

4 Steps to Make It Work

1. ‍Start with the Calendar. This doesn’t happen by accident. Block a weekend as far in advance as necessary. If you can swing two nights away, do it. It’s less about luxury and more about removing yourself from routine. Even a nearby Airbnb or a friend’s cabin will do the trick. And yes, it will take some coordination, and maybe some grace from your partner or family, to protect this time. But it’s worth it.  (Just return the favor for them!).‍
2. Pick the Right Place. Avoid spots that tempt you back into “productive mode.” No work inbox. No house chores. No distractions. Look for quiet, nature, and at least one good cafe/coffee shop nearby. (Trust me.)‍
3. Plan Ahead - Loosely. You don’t need an hour-by-hour agenda. But you do need a framework. My suggested outline includes six parts:

• Vision check-in
• Mission/values clarity
• Personal SCOT Analysis (Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities, Threats)
• Reflection time (get outside)
• Skills and leadership inventory
• Tactical 30/60/90-day plan

Before I go, I like to “prime the pump” by picking a book on a strategic or leadership topic that’s been on my mind. I’ll read that in the days leading up to the retreat and then load a few favorite podcasts for the drive to get in the right headspace. It’s not just about showing up, it's about arriving ready.

Bring your favorite journal, your wall calendar, a couple of thought-provoking books, and a few physical tools: a flip chart, markers, and sticky notes can bring your big ideas to life in a tactile way. I'm no artist, but there's something about sketching things on poster paper and then attaching them to the wall for reflection. 

4. ‍Don’t Forget the Logistics. Pack like it matters. Comfy clothes, walking shoes, healthy snacks. A few prepped meals can keep you focused. The goal is presence, so plan accordingly. Bring everything you’ll need so you’re not wasting mental energy on supply runs.

What You’ll Leave With

No, it won’t solve all your problems. But I promise you’ll return with:

• A clearer head
• A sharper sense of purpose
• Tangible goals for the next 90 days
• And maybe... a renewed sense of possibility

Final Thought

So yes, my family still teases me about my “planning retreats.” But they’ve noticed something too: I return calmer. Clearer. More grounded. Just like we invest in our organizations, our teams, and our causes -we must invest in ourselves.

A Personal Planning Retreat isn’t indulgent. It’s leadership maintenance.

And you deserve that time.

Dr. Patton McDowell, CFRE, MBA, founded PMA Nonprofit Leadership in 2009. He is the host of the weekly podcast Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, brought to you in partnership with Armstrong McGuire, and author of the best-selling book with the same name. A Certified Fundraising Executive and Master Trainer for AFP Global, he serves as Executive in Residence at Cornell University's Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and as Director of the Institute for Philanthropic Leadership. Patton and his team also lead the Armstrong McGuire Interim Management Institute.  Register for the next Interim Management Institute information session on September 5 at noon.