Hoping to process and repurpose your life?
Or just plain sick of grinding for corporations and ungrateful bosses?
These are just some of the reasons why you may be considering taking a sabbatical. And while I am the first to say, "Go For It!", having done the same myself, there are things that you absolutely MUST consider to make sure the time you take goes as well as you hoped it would.
Trust me, as someone who jumped headlong into 'taking a break from work life' with some thought, I am still a little disappointed with how things turned out and wished I had just a little bit more advice before embarking on my little break.
So here, I am going to lay out some considerations for you - things that I wished I had taken note of for my own sabbatical.
1. Have a Concrete Plan!
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| Make detailed plans down to the day (Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay) |
And I mean a detailed plan! Write or type them all out. What you are going to do for the length of the sabbatical? How you will spend your days, weeks, months?
Travelling to Southeast Asia? Writing that story that has been lingering on your mind for years? Volunteering at the orphanage?
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| Put together your To-Do List! (Image by Michéle from Pixabay) |
It is easy to say you will be travelling during your sabbatical or just relaxing at home whiling away the hours by reading or watching classics. But then you go on sabbatical and nothing happens because you spend the entire duration scrolling through social media. Not that it's a bad thing if that was your intention but more than likely, it isn't.
Without a plan, each day will crawl to the next and before you know it, you are back at work and wondering how the hell your sabbatical has ended. So do yourself a favour and equip yourself with a plan.
2. Consider Your Financial Situation
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| Know how much you will need (Image by Megan Rexazin Conde from Pixabay) |
You must consider how much money you have put away and are willing to spend during your sabbatical. And since you have executed point 1, you should have a rough idea of the kind of expenses you will incur.
The thing is, not everyone needs a ton of money to make good use of their time away from work. There is plenty you could do without putting a strain on your financials. After all, you are on a sabbatical to relax and not incur further anxiety or feel like you should be racing back to your money-making job.
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| Don't Overspend (Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay) |
If money is a concern, maybe borrow books from your local library or learn a hobby from the comfort of your home. If you wish to be adventurous, take short trips during non-peak hours and days. Being 'away of work' means that you could take advantage of cheaper options that might have been harder to do while working.
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| Relax at home (Image by Agata from Pixabay) |
If money is not a concern then, baby, the world is your oyster. Just be clear how much you are setting aside for this venture with sufficient buffer.
3. Be Flexible and Open-Minded
Expect the unexpected. Despite all the hours and thoughts you might have put into you planning, more than likely things won't go 100% the way you wanted it to.
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| Maybe your plan goes sideways (Image by toushirou_px from Pixabay) |
We all have this tendency to set expectations about any and everything. When reality clashes with those expectations, we are left reeling with disappointment. At times it's best to go with the flow.
If something doesn't go according to plan, don't sweat it. Maybe a change of plan will lead you to things you never imagined.. Better things that might give you a fresh perspective, which is probably what you were seeking in the first place with a sabbatical.
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| Consider a change of plan if necessary (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay) |
So be flexible and open-minded. Sometimes you just have to recognise that dropping the plan becomes the plan.
4. Make Decisions without Guilt
And finally, you do NOT have to stick to any plan. Nothing is set in stone. This is YOUR sabbatical so feel free to do whatever the hell you feel like. You are beholden to no one but yourself.
Maybe during your sabbatical, you realise that taking long breaks is not for you. No problem, plan your exit strategy. And do so without feeling like you are cheating yourself. Because hey, what fits the majority may not necessarily be your cup of tea.
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| It's all about you and what you need! (Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay) |
Maybe you find that the plan you had spent months developing isn't working. Well, just throw the whole thing out and start on a new plan.
You will never be able to determine from the outset how things are going to pan out or how you feel about the way things are going, etc.
When you have already decided to go with the flow, then go with the flow without guilt. Ride the waves and see where it leads you whether it's back to work or further away from work. But remember, you don't have to ride the same waves or stay where the waves bring you.
**Have you gone on a sabbatical. What did you wish you knew before you embarked on it?
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