It is now August and the 8th month of my sabbatical. Time surely does fly. Never did I imagine my sabbatical leave would last this long or be this magnificent! The purpose of my sabbatical was to take a career break from nursing to rediscover my passion for nursing. My sabbatical has allowed my days to flow freely without hard deadlines or useless meetings. I have slept more during my sabbatical than in the last 3 years. Here are the top things that I have done during my sabbatical.
Sabbatical Plan or not!
I did not have a plan for my sabbatical. I know that may seem insane to some people. How could I not have a plan? However, I truly didn’t have one besides getting out of my last role as quickly as possible. I planned to travel, spend time with family, rest, and read. That was it! I quickly realized that 3 months was unrealistic. I needed the first 3 months to decompress. There was no way I could figure out the next steps in 3 months. By not having a plan, I have created space for opportunities to present themselves. Not everything requires a plan.
Sabbatical is for Travel
If you follow me on any of my social media platforms, you know I love to travel. When asked about my favorite hobby, the top of the list is always travel. Therefore when my friends told me about impromptu birthday trips, it was an absolute YES! No longer did I have to say, “Let me check my calendar or vacation time.” It was so liberating! I traveled to St. Maarten, Anguilla, St. Barths, Mexico, and Barbados thus far. If travel is important to you, then you should definitely add it to your sabbatical budget. I would have been bummed if I could not travel with my friends on the impromptu trip.
Sabbatical is for Family Time
I am very close to my family and love spending time with them. In my last leadership role, I realized I constantly would say that I am busy. I am busy at work. I am busy at home. If someone asks me how I am, “I’m busy.” It was ridiculous. Yet, it caught my attention more when my mother would apologize for calling me because she knows that “I’m busy. “ I hated that feeling. You may have the same saying in regards to your spouse and children. I realized work had become my life. During my sabbatical, I chose to spend a few weeks with my family during the holidays. Then, a family medical emergency happened which required me to be home for almost a month to help care for a family member. To this day, I thank God for showing me that I needed to leave my job. There was no way I could have supported my family and worked at the same time. One of my favorite sayings is, “Everything happens for a reason. “
Sabbatical is time to discover a new hobby
At the beginning of my sabbatical, I was asked, “ What have you learned new?” I scratched my head at that question. Besides catching up on Netflix shows, I really had not done anything new in the 1st 2 months of my sabbatical. While I was perusing Facebook, an ad popped up :
CKO Kickboxing 10 days for $10
This seemed cool. I have a Peloton which remains my tried and true method for exercise. I purchased it at the beginning of the Pandemic and it helped me mentally and physically survive the hardest days of 2020 and 2021. However, I love to add new exercises/experiences to the mix, so I signed up. I figured I could easily do 10 days. Well, I made 8 of the 10 days. I loved it! It energized me! I was focused in each class because God forbid you forgot a combination, you might be lost for the rest of the class. I still attend several times a week. On the days that you don’t feel at your best, there is something about punching a bag that makes you feel better. If you have never tried a class, do it today. There are always deals on Groupon as well.
Sabbatical is for reading
I have been reading a lot on my sabbatical. My love for reading began as a child. I recall my first visit to the library where I received my 1st library card. Excitement filled my spirit! While starting this blog, I realized that I wanted to share this aspect of my hobbies. Hence, why there is a section on books. I love reading memoirs, non-fiction, fiction, personal development, leadership, and money. This year, I also discovered audiobooks. It has been a game changer! It has been so delightful to listen to books of interest during long car rides or walking around the city. I will be writing book reviews of all of the books that I read. The one challenge that I forsee is that as an avid reader, challenge of being an avid reader is that my reading list is never-ending
Sabbatical is a time to be open to possibilities
Recently, I shared on social media all of the 1sts that I have experienced during my sabbatical. The summary of my 1st included my 1st consulting role, 1st time speaking at a tech conference, 1st time being honored at a national nursing meeting, and even my 1st time lecturing for graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania. These were big deals for me! They all occurred because I was open. Someone might text me or call me. I would think about if it brought me joy or excitement. If it did, I said yes. It was that simple! Through this process, I realized that rather than making calculated moves to achieve an outcome, I would enjoy it a lot more if it happened naturally. I believe in the power of manifestations!
It has also allowed me to dream big about the possibilities. There are so many opportunities in the world. I know that I do not have to do everything like everyone else. I can create the life that I want, and live it how I want.
What to do on sabbatical?
Literally, anything! I have been reading more about sabbaticals and the various kinds of sabbaticals. You truly can design the sabbatical the way that you want. I think 3 months is too short for a sabbatical. However, if you have a goal, and you know it can be accomplished in 3 months, go for it. I will say you should take the time to do something different than you typically would. If you had all of the time in the world, what would you do with it? What would you regret not doing?
What are the benefits of a sabbatical?
Honestly, it all depends on the purpose and goal of your sabbatical journey. For me, it was rest, recovery from burnout, and rejuvenating my passion for nursing. I can say that I have recovered from burnout. I am headache free, no longer too busy to live, and truly enjoy how I am living.
Overall, through my hesitancy and fear of quitting my job with no plan, I discovered so much more about myself. I have people telling me that I look good. Which means the burden is released. I won’t say the journey has been glamorous. However, I feel amazing! I am slowly transitioning back to the working world but with a different perspective and also different techniques. I am excited about the future!
So you can imagine that now at 8 months, I need to generate income.
Next week, I will be sharing how I planned my transition and what I am working on.