Gearing Down to Power Up: The Sabbatical

Those who know me, know my passion for travel and my innate curiosity to understand the world around me. Having spent years working in some of the world's best corporations, helping to identify and develop talent, I have seen the importance of taking some time out to re-balance, rejuvenate and refresh. I am a true believer in the power of the Sabbatical and it's ability to provide clarity and nourish the soul.

What exactly is a sabbatical? Sabbatical literally means 'ceasing', it is a rest period from work to enable a person the opportunity to achieve something meaningful to them at that time in their life. A Sabbatical in the original sense was a period of one year, but the length of time can vary person by person.

Taking time out helps one to return to the corporate world both refreshed and re-focused on their personal and professional goals. By stepping outside one's comfort zone and gaining a new perspective, you will have to opportunity to learn so much more than any job setting could ever provide.

If you are lucky, you work for a company which has such a policy to allow for paid or unpaid breaks, but there are still quite a few which do not offer such opportunities.

For many people, it is a once in a lifetime possibility, but with planning and flexibility it does not have to be. My husband and I had our first sabbatical 10 years ago and it was so incredible that we knew it would not be our last.

How to prepare for a sabbatical:

1. Plan in advance and create a roadmap. Figure out why you want a break, what you would really like to do with the time off (i.e. travel, study, volunteer, train for a marathon, learn a new hobby, learn a new language,...) and when would be the best time to go. Trust me, planning can really make a measurable difference to the quality of your experiences (i.e. heading off to Asia during monsoon season might not be the type of break you were hoping for...)

2. Get your finances in order. You want to relax and enjoy your break, so figure out what amount of money you may need and start putting aside some savings each month. Sabbaticals don't need to be expensive, but you also don't want to run out of funds part way through. If you are not going to be paid during your time off, then put aside a bit extra as a buffer. For my 6 month trip through Asia and Russia, I started saving a year and a half in advance.

3. Ensure a smooth transition. If you hope to return to your job after your break, then have a discussion with your boss about your plans. Ensure that they have enough notice so that they can cover your absence and you can do a proper hand-over. Get some dates in the diary and start planning towards them.

4. Organise for proper coverage. Ensure you are properly covered when it comes to healthcare - both for at home and for your travels. Many companies also sell longer term policies if you plan to be abroad for a number of months.

5. Tidy up all loose ends. Once you have figured out your budget and the time you want to spend then start getting your life in order in preparation.

How to make the most of your time off:

Get out of your comfort zone. People have different ideas of what their comfort zone is - it could be to leave your job and go back to school, it could be to volunteer with a charity, or to travel and learn a new language. Whatever it means to you, try something new, push your own boundaries a bit and see where it takes you.

Expand your network. Working in the same company and living in the same town for long periods inevitably means that you spend most of your time interacting with the same people. A sabbatical can help change all that. You will find that you have extra time and energy to spend with your loved ones and will now have the opportunity to meet even more people who share the same interests that you do. Not only did I meet some really great people from across the globe during my travels, but the sabbatical also brought my husband and I into contact with our amazing Tibetan foster child, Dolkar.

Take time to stop and smell the roses. Don't try to cram too much into your time out. It is easy to fill your days and to want to do as many things as possible with your time off. But remember, this does not need to be the last time you take time out for yourself.

Try to stay open-minded and flexible. Be prepared that not everything will go according to plan and be open to change. Life is sometimes unpredictable, especially in a new country / culture, so be open to other opportunities and have a back-up plan. Who knows what exciting thing lie around the bend?!

Keep enhancing your career profile. No matter what you decide to do, think about how your time off can contribute to a 'stronger' you. What type of skills might you want to develop? What type of experiences might help you to build new or greater confidence and expertise? Though traveling might not be seen as a career experience, spending time with the locals in a new country is a great way to develop stronger cross-cultural skills. In a similar way, some types of volunteering work could be a great way of improving your organizational and leadership competencies. Just because you do not end your experiences with a diploma, does not make the lessons you learned during them any less valuable.

Keep a document of your time away. - Whether you choose to track the highlights of your experience by blog, diary or photos, documenting your sabbatical provides you with a wonderful memory of this special time. You will be amazed at how documenting the changes you experience helps in the process of understanding the impact certain events have had on your life. Initially, we kept an online blog of our travels so that our family and friends knew that we were still 'alive', but the process of writing about our adventures not only enhanced the experiences, but it also vastly improved my photography skills and was a constant reminder of how incredible this time was. Even years later, when I re-read the blog, I am amazed at how vivid the memories are.

In summary, whatever you decide to do, enjoy the time to focus on yourself, keep growing and remember to savour the moments.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I really appreciate it! If you are interested to hear more, below is a link to other articles I have written:

• "So.. your company considers you a 'talent', now what?"
• "What to look for when it comes to great talent!"

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