1. How to know the signals you are ready for a Sabbatical
There can be many different reasons that drive people to take a sabbatical.
For example:
Maybe you’re earlier in your career and you always planned a gap year between working and going back to grad school. Or, maybe you got into grad school and you asked to delay it a year. Or, maybe you are taking time off before you start and plan to take time off after you graduate and before you begin your new job.
Perhaps you’ve worked for a decade after college and you’re simply ready for an adventure.
You might be like Stegan Sagmeister or Alice Waters who value time away to be renewed and find fresh inspiration for their crafts. Waters says, “Part of my philosophy is to try to give employees a great quality of life. My guiding principle is to put myself in their place and ask what I would find desirable in a job…. I also feel that it’s impossible for a chef to work productively six days a week. Chez Panisse chefs work three and are paid for five. This way they have a day to go to the market and get inspired to cook. It also gives them time to have dinners at home with their families.”
Or, maybe you’re at a point in your career where you are simply exhausted. Or, you may be burnt out, which can be the result of not just being overworked but also operating in a toxic or sub-optimal work culture. In these circumstances, just like with a career change, your body can sense when you might need a pause, a break. It often gets painful. Some people even get physically sick, their bodies telling them something has to change.
And, finally, perhaps you are at a point in your career where you’re ready to take a break from corporate life and transition to being in charge of your own venture. (Note that in this case, it’s important to be financially prudent and plan appropriately if you choose to take time off and pivot to something new without piloting it first.)
For me, as I noted in the introduction, I was just plain tired, exhausted from pushing too hard for too many years. And frankly, I was a bit bored with what I had been doing. I had hit a plateau in my learning and wasn’t inspired by the work anymore. And, I wasn’t quite sure where to go next. All the career paths I thought I could explore and wanted to try, I had. So, I didn’t have clarity on a next step and felt a bit in limbo. Well, I had some insights, but nothing concrete. I felt I could benefit from some silence, to give myself time to quiet things down, listen to myself, and plan more proactively for my next chapter. Ina Garten, in a wonderful interview on Katie Couric’s podcast, shared how a friend advised, “You have to stop. Type A people think they can figure out what they are going to do next while they are doing something, and they can’t.” Garten took the advice, took a break from Barefoot Contessa, and gained clarity and found her next passion project, writing cookbooks.
As we noted at the start, there can be a range of inspiration or reasons as to why one might be interested in taking a Sabbatical.
Given that, these are just some of the signals to pay attention to:
Exhaustion and being constantly tired.
Feeling burnt out.
Starting to get sick or have other physical ailments.
Having a lack of inspiration, being disappointed in your work or current opportunities.
Seeking new inspiration for your work.
Having a desire for a different relationship between your work and life.
Transformational moments start to happen.
Wondering what is next and what is more beyond your current level of success.
Needing space to find clarity.
A strong pull and desire to get back to or be pulled to an area of learning and growth.
Wanting to bring your authentic self forward more.
Seeking an adventure.
Now, realistically you may experience some of these, but not need to take a break. You may just be on a journey towards a mid-career transition. (If that’s the case, read more on that topic here.)
For me, the draw towards a sabbatical was influenced by many of these factors: exhaustion, a lack of inspiration, seeking clarity, seeking adventure, and a strong desire for learning and growth.
Whatever your reason, honor the voice inside that is calling or screaming to you to slow down, pause, and take a break.