Usually, when we seek more balance in our lives, we think first about getting rid of things—clean out the closet, stop working so much, schedule some "do nothing" time. But what if balance instead meant you added something to your busy schedule?

That was the solution for Ashley Fieglein, 34. Five years ago, the Silicon Valley venture capitalist was on vacation in Costa Rica with her expert-surfer brother. A surfing novice, she took lessons with Alvaro Solano, a six-time national champion in the small Central American nation. There, she had an epiphany: she had too much stress and not enough happiness. But rather than cutting back on her busy life, she made it busier. Within months, the San Francisco resident changed jobs, purchased property near Jacó, on Costa Rica's wave-blessed Pacific coast, and broke ground on what became the Vista Guapa surfing and yoga camp. The camp is now in its fourth season, with Solano and his family managing the three-bungalow resort full-time.