Reflections from a career break-er
One year later…reflecting on life after a sabbatical
One year ago I left my job to take a career break or sabbatical (whatever you want to call it). I was leaving a leadership role with no clear next step, and feeling some combination of nervous (WTF was I doing?) and excited. Or, as my friend Lisa would say - nervcited. It’s now one year on, I’m back in the workforce and reflecting on my sabbatical experience.
The why
My sabbatical started at the end of a long road in my previous job. It was an incredible leadership role, with a great team at a successful business. But I had led through 2 years of Covid and three years of major organisational change. I was tired. What’s more, the daily reality of the job was no longer what I had signed up for. It had evolved over the years, and I was spending a lot of time doing stuff that I didn’t enjoy, and sometimes wasn’t even very good at. I was no longer growing. I wasn’t my best self. It just wasn’t serving me any more.
Taking the leap without knowing what’s next is downright terrifying. I knew that I wanted to take a 3 - 5 mth break and then find a new role that better aligned who I am and what I do. But there was no guarantee and no sabbatical playbook. So I had to follow my instincts and ask around for ideas.
Defining success
Early on, a friend challenged me to describe what success would look like? That is - if I was to imagine myself in 3 months time, feeling refreshed and energised from taking a break, what would I have done? After rattling off a loooooong list of things I wanted to do during my break, we realised I might be expecting a bit much! So, I shortened the list to four priorities:
Down-time - decompressing, reflecting and re-energising
Family time - spending quality time with my family
Friendship - Rekindling long-standing friendships
Passion project - creating the space to bring to life a passion project
It was helpful to have this picture of success. But, after that initial burst of energetic planning activity I went into an unexpected energy slump.
Chapters in my sabbatical
In hindsight, there was a story arc to my sabbatical -
Renew - Chapter 1 was all about rest and recovery. I had underestimated the impact of my job on my health and energy levels and initially my body and brain needed a complete break. This was my goo phase. I regularly felt untethered, uncomfortable and emotional. But I also knew the importance of downtime for my health, wellbeing, productivity and creativity.
Reflect - Chapter 2 took me inwards to reflect on my career journey, my life and my goals. I found journaling helpful, started my blog, and spent some time redefining myself (it had been 10 years since writing my last CV!). For me, this chapter was also an incredibly joyful and rejuvenating time with family and old friends.
Explore - in Chapter 3 I got curious and did lots of talking. This chapter is when I started actively exploring the potential options available to me. Investigating, stress-testing, experimenting and figuring out my decision-making criteria.
Become - Chapter 4 was getting into action. This is when I completely broke all the rules I’d set for my next role, and stepped into the new ‘me’ and my organisation.
It’s implicit in these chapters that the road wasn’t always easy. I was in a transition phase in my career and life, and I discovered it comes with a lot of emotion.
Rituals that sustained me
Being in the liminal space between ‘no longer’ and ‘not yet’ is disquieting. And there’s no crystal ball to give you confidence that it will all work out. To navigate this time, I found practices and rituals that helped sustain me.
My daily mantra was Have faith. I was constantly reminding myself to have faith in my instincts and to heed their messages.
My soundtrack was Joe Cocker’s Have a little faith. I love music and this became the soundtrack to my sabbatical (anyone noticing a theme there?).
Journalling. I found peace and clarity in writing - reflecting and blogging throughout my sabbatical. This is a practice I’ve continued ever since.
Family time. I wanted to be more present as a parent during this time. For me that meant prioritising spending time with my teenagers wherever I could (even if it meant being the family taxi service).
Moving. Getting out in nature to walk, bike and run kept me energised and grounded.
I also quickly came to realise that I needed to take it one step at a time, and trust that I was exactly where I needed to be.
How life is different now
These days, I have a fresh outlook and a new way of being. My sabbatical was unexpectedly a time of discovering new things about myself. In hindsight, it was my very own custom-designed professional and personal development retreat. A time when I took ownership of my own growth, in my own way.
“I thought I was changing my job, but I was actually changing myself”
As a consequence I feel stronger and more powerful than ever before. I’m proud of being vulnerable and brave. Excited about discovering and unleashing my inner creativity through my website and blog. Energised to continue learning and growing. And inspired by my bold new inner voice (I’ve named her Beyonce).
Above all, the most important learning for me, was that my sabbatical was driven by an internal change. And it was that internal change that triggered the external one.
“When things change inside you things change around you”
Tips for your own sabbatical
If you’re thinking about taking your own sabbatical, career break, mental health time, re-set or whatever you want to call it. Here’s my advice …
Do it! - and be unapologetic about it.
Ride the emotional rollercoaster - our identity is closely tied to our job. So be prepared for feelings of grief, loss, fear and anxiety. They will pass.
Prioritise rest first - it’s important to tend the soil before planting a garden. Mental and physical breaks are not only vital for our health, they enhance our ability to lead in life and at work. So, make rest a priority.
Have a plan… but keep it loose - we need to design this time in a way that works for us, and be prepared to adapt along the way. It’s a bit like climbing a mountain - the path isn’t clear when you’re standing at the bottom. There will be twists and turns along the way. But you will find a way to the top.
Talk & trial - you can’t discover yourself and your next step by thinking and reflecting - you need to act your way into a new way of being. Figuring out the right fit comes from talking, testing, trialling and tyre-kicking.
Stay curious - notice what you’re drawn to, and follow the threads that interest, excite and strengthen you. Those are signals that you’re heading in the right direction.
And remember - your career is a journey, not a destination. The next step doesn’t need to be perfect, and it doesn’t need to be permanent.
Love J xx
“The best decisions aren’t made with your mind, but with your instinct.”