A
career coaching article:
Sabbatical from work?
Start here!
by
Cathy Goodwin
Many people envy academics
who take sabbaticals. What they don't realize is that sabbaticals are
not designed as time on the beach. You are supposed to use your free
time to accomplish specific projects. Often you are not allowed to
embark on a sabbatical if your plans seem vague or unproductive.
Clients consult me for two
aspects of sabbaticals. First, they want to create a Plan B so they
won't be stranded. Second, they want to plan their time so they won't
feel like, "I had all that time and nothing to show for it."
Here are three broad
recommendations. We can set up a one-hour
consultation if you'd like to get more specific.
Have a plan that
includes fun.
How do you want to play?
Did you always want to spend a year at the movies, take a ceramics
class, write nonstop all morning, or begin each day with a blank slate?
If this idea is totally
new, even scary, consider practicing on your weekends. You may need to
identify what you really want to do before you start.
Design playful activities.
I recommend two types of
goals: a creativity goal and a physical activity goal.
A creativity goal involves
developing a new side of yourself, using some combination of art,
music, drama, and writing. You may become an artist or take
"appreciation" classes. If you travel, you can keep a journal, visit
art museums or attend concerts.
No ideas? Check out The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron,
available at any bookstore. I am willing to bet that you will have no
trouble identifying playful activities as you work through the program.
Physical activity can be
as simple as walking or as rigorous as training for a marathon. Learn a
new sport. Dance. Work with a trainer in the weight room. People tell
me over and over, "I felt stronger as a person when my body became
stronger."
Some goals are unique
combinations of the physical and the creative. "Build a cabin on my
property," "Sail my boat to the island and back," "Walk the length of
the state of California and keep a journal."
Set a time limit for your Time Out.
Decide ahead of time: how
long will you give yourself to enjoy your sabbatical, guilt-free?
Over a period of three
months, you can
sign up for a class in pottery or piano. You can complete The
Artist's Way program.
Six months? You can draft
a short book or outline a longer one.
Six weeks? You can travel
or go to workshops or see all the movies you didn't have time to watch
while you were working.
A time limit can free
you. Someone I know (call her Janet) finished her MBA and began
drifting. She worked part-time in a restaurant in a charming resort
town. She felt no rush to get a corporate job to begin her career.
After several months, the restaurant closed and Janet's parents
reminded her, "We supported you through school so you could get a real
job!"
Janet eventually built her
own successful business, but she says a time limit would have given her
a sense of direction.
So here's what I
recommend: Don't drift. You can always start a new Time Out if you're
ready.
I offer one-to-one consultations on career strategy.
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