How do you 'plan to leave the board?' Do you work it into your schedule?
"Oh, after lunch next week, I'll leave the board."
If you really have 'important time consuming relationships' then you just disappear when they consume your time because they are more important. You don't go, "sorry, babe. but I can't meet you for dinner yet, I haven't left the board yet, but if you wait until November 16th, I'm leaving the board at 1pm so I can have an early dinner with you around 5."
You're one of those guys that's going to be saying, "I'm really leaving this time guys." Then reappear three days later with this, "well, do they miss me yet?" attitude.