Sabbatical

We work many hours, we give lots throughout our lives. And for many of us, our livelihoods challenge us in good ways, allowing us opportunities to grow both personally & professionally, and both skills & knowledge. Bonus, we get to make connections with fellow humans who, like you, are on their life long learning journey. We get to share knowledge with each other, and hopefully make supportive friendships along the way. And on a more practical note, our livelihoods keep a roof over our heads, food on our tables, and allow us many types of freedoms.

On the flip side, at times our livelihoods, depending on our working conditions and environment, can drag us down and even through the mud. They tire us out, and can at times make us miserable human beings. Challenging working conditions apply to many professions, and to some extent we can expect difficulties no matter what job we’re doing. As a teacher, I recently read in Jennifer Gonzalez’s “Cult of Pedagogy” blog about how many of us are leaving the profession. Ultimately, it comes down to some form or another of poor working conditions, not feeling supported, appreciated or trusted, abuse from our students' parents, and not being invited into decision making discussions that concern us and our students. Basically, this leads to a type of “burn out”.  So, the question is...

Several years ago I watched a TED talk called “The Power of Time Off” given by designer Stefan Sagmeister. Every seven years, Stefan closes up his studio and takes a year off. Yes, a whole year, every seven years! He justifies this time off thinking, well, we spend the first 25 years or so of our lives learning; followed by the next 40 years working; and the last 15 years in retirement. So why not take 5 years off retirement and use them to break up the years of working? Sagmeister states,

In other words, the time away experimenting, traveling, reading, hobbies, dabbling around in other things outside of our normal profession, is invaluable for the work we do, and our well-being.

After seeing this TED talk, I started thinking more and more about taking a year long sabbatical. A year to actually develop myself in new and different ways. I even started planning some of the things I’d like to do, like hiking the John Muir Trail, taking some courses, house projects, starting a blog, more time for family and friends, and more outdoor time. I never really knew when or even if I was going to make this happen, I just hoped that I would someday.

Well, I guess a sabbatical came knocking at my door in the form of a pandemic, followed by a devastating military coup in Myanmar on Feb. 1, 2021. Myanmar will likely be a topic in a future post... for now I'll stay on the topic of sabbaticals. The coup resulted in Meghan and I being out of work for the first time in 21 years. I could go into all the details of this, but I’ll spare you and say, we, along with many many people were handed serious "lemons".  I figured that taking a sabbatical now was one way of making "lemonade".

Making it Happen

So now I’ve been "mostly" on a sabbatical since June, 2021. I say "mostly", because I have had both several months of not working and exploring hobbies, hikes, creative projects, and house projects. I've also had several months of part-time substitute teaching to supplement our income.

Reflecting back on the last 11 months, here are a few tips, dos and don’ts in case you’re thinking a sabbatical or at least a short hiatus might be something for you. This also goes for retired people and anyone who has chosen to step out of work for some reason or another. Sabbaticals are not always planned but they can be. If you have any inkling that a sabbatical might be something you’d like to pursue, then I would recommend:

1. Prepare - Set a Date
2. Prepare - Create a budget
3. Prepare - Circle of You
4. Prepare - Tell someone about your plans
5. Live it to the fullest!

Did I say "prepare"? Okay, just 4 times. :)

Set a Date

This can be rough, plans change, we don't always know when work will allow us to step away, but the sooner you have an idea of when you might be able to take some time away from your job, the more smoothly the transition will go for you.

I say this knowing that I was someone who did not actually choose the year I was going to take a sabbatical. I do think I would have fumbled around less and probably done more had I chosen the year and followed through with a plan.

That said, it has been nice in some ways to not have a solid concrete plan, which has allowed me some spontaneity. To that end, I would avoid over-planning everything to the day. Let the wind blow you around and see where you go for parts of your free time.

Create a Budget

Consider the costs involved for everything you’d like to do. Create a monthly budget. Decide if there's something big you'd like to do, travel, course work, food, something to support a hobby, etc. A sabbatical does not have to break the bank if you start saving, and set a reasonable budget. Or, if you’re lucky enough to work for an institution that allows sabbaticals, investigate into the support they might have in place for you. Either way, think of this as investing in your future self.

The What? and the Why?

Now the fun part, deciding what you're going to do, what you hope to gain from the experience, and the purpose behind it. Thinking about how you'll spend your time can be done through a few strategies. This works whether or not you're taking sabbatical or a shorter hiatus. Either way, it's all about balance.

I’ve had the privilege of working at International Schools that promote learning outside of the normal subject areas (math, science, language arts, etc..). These schools either had a robust after-school program with a range of explorations students could take on, with often lots of service opportunities, or they subscribed to the International Baccalaureate (IB), Creativity, Activity & Service programs, otherwise known as CAS. I was fortunate enough to be very involved in developing both the after-school, and the "CAS" programs. I say this to help you consider creating a balance between things that are Creative, Active, and Service oriented.

We often don't have time for Creative endeavors.. this is your chance! Try something new, art, music, writing, creating a garden, or maybe even a building project on your house that you design, whatever. Creativity is good for the soul. It sets you free to experiment and gives you an outlet for things inside of you that are buried beneath the surface.

Activity is all about movement, and healthy lifestyles, both physically and mentally. Remember to work on the inside and include "self-care" as a central part of your sabbatical. Be active physically, train for a long distance run, learn to paddle board, practice yoga, weight lifting, do physical things that challenge you, like a through hike, or a bike tour. I include mental health here as well, because this includes keeping your mind active, learning, and growing.

Service may or may not be a focus of your sabbatical. However, try to make it an element of your sabbatical if you can. Keep your finger on the pulse of the world around you so when your sabbatical is over, you have a clearer compass pointing you in a deeper direction. Remember also that this is time for you to practice "self-care", and to recharge and refocus so you can be of more service after your sabbatical. So, try not to overdo it. You'll thank yourself later when you have more energy to bring to causes that you believe in.

I will write a complete post called the "Circle of You", that will provide additional tools for narrowing down how you might want to spend your time and energy, coming next week.

Tell People About It

This is a simple but important step. Share your plans and ideas with a good friend (even me if you'd like!). Make sure to ask for feedback. This will clarify your plans and help you avoid fumbling around with this precious time you have.

Live It to the Fullest!

Try to realize how precious and rare it is to be free of normal everyday work responsibilities. If you have planned well, have saved your money well, and done what you could to take some extra time away from normal working life, then you are extremely fortunate. This time you spend for personal growth and self-care will have lasting results for you, and will shape the way you approach your causes in the future. Even if you can only get away for a week or two, take a "mini-sabbatical". Even if it's just an afternoon... Every moment that you spend taking care of yourself energizes you and allows you to give more in a world that needs all of us to be at our best as often as we can.

Many in the world can only dream of not working for some time. It's precious, so make the most of this time and live it to the fullest!

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If there’s anything you’re interested in finding out more about, just let me know.

P.S. I think I've just convinced my wife to take a sabbatical... :) How about you?

He's on to something here... if you're looking for inspiration to add some intentional time off, here's a good place to start.