Over the past few months, my 11
month old son has decided he doesn't like to be alone all night long so
he cries out in the middle of the night hoping his mother or I will
come and see him. Needless to say, after many nights of this in a row,
it gets pretty tiring.
This past week I came across a way
to recharge the internal batteries.
LifeClever,
a blog with tips for design and life, featured a post written by
David
Moldawer entitled
The
One-Day Sabbatical. The following is a repost of
David's work with his permission. I hope you enjoy.
In academia, professors have the
option of taking a year away from their home institution for the
purpose of expanding their intellectual horizons. They might spend this
time doing research in the field, teaching at another university, or
writing a book.
For those of us working in a world
without tenure and tweed jackets with patches on the elbows, taking a
step back from our professional lives and finding a little perspective
isn’t as easy. But it’s still necessary.
Luckily, I’ve found that the quality
of a sabbatical leave can compensate for a lack of quantity.
Introducing the Amazing 24-Hour
Sabbatical.
Why take a sabbatical?
At points in our professional and
personal lives, we feel swept up in the flow of events. As milestones
and markers fly past us, we promise ourselves that we’ll take a good,
deep breath and look around as soon as things slow down. But they
don’t. When one project is finally wrapping up, three more kick into
gear. Forget smelling the roses, we forget to taste our morning coffee.
I’m in the middle of this myself: from my wedding through a promotion
through the honeymoon through a move, I haven’t so much as looked up
from my feet in 9 months.
To be clear, a one day sabbatical is
NOT a Weekly Review. It is NOT an opportunity to catch up on less
urgent tasks, re-prioritize our to-do lists, or brainstorm on projects.
It’s an opportunity you grant yourself to get a little perspective.
Immediate benefit:
A one day sabbatical will:
* Recharge your emotional and
intellectual batteries
* Stimulate your creativity
* Suggest new directions for your efforts
* Highlight areas in your life that aren’t worth the effort
* Stimulate long-buried emotions and memories
What do you do when you hang a
picture frame on the wall? If you’re like me, you walk a few feet away,
then turn quickly and look to see if it’s really crooked or not. That’s
what a sabbatical is all about: getting far enough away to see the big
picture.
How to Take Your Sabbatical
Your first question might be, why 24
hours? In reality, you’ll only be gone for 8 or 10 hours. But the most
important first step in taking a one day sabbatical is to get terrific
sleep beforehand.
Get up bright and early the day before your sabbatical, which unless
you’re a freelancer who can make your own schedule will probably be a
Saturday or a Sunday. Then get to bed as early as you can manage. Set
your alarm to wake up before dawn, before your spouse and kids, if any,
and get on the road.
Pack Your Sabbatical Kit
Prepare a small, light bag. You’ll
be on your feet a lot so you want to travel light. Bring:
* A paperback book
* A journal and/or voice recorder
* Pens
* Bottled water
* Snack bars, fruit
* iPod (no podcasts)
Do not bring work. Do not bring a laptop. No iPhone, no Blackberry, no
cellphone whatsoever.
Wear comfortable clothes and your best walking shoes or sneakers.
Choose Your Path
If you live in a walkable area like
New York City, embarking on your sabbatical may be as simple as picking
a direction and walking. The main thing is to walk someplace off your
own beaten path. If you’re in a suburban area, drive somewhere long
unvisited. Useful sabbatical activities include:
* Perusing a major library
* Visiting your local art or natural history museum
* Strolling along your nearest lake or, if available, seaside
* Eating unfamiliar foods
The point is to allow yourself to
spend one full day separated from the tasks and obligations of your
life. Which is not to say, don’t think about your job or your family.
First of all, that’s a hopeless endeavor. Don’t think of an elephant
while you’re at it.
But once you step back from the
immediate, practical concerns, you may start thinking about your job or
life as a whole. Maybe it’s time to accept that your career doesn’t
make you happy and never will. Or, it may occur to you how lucky you
are to be in your position.
In the first case, you might start
brainstorming ideas for a career transition. In the latter, you might
decide to come back on Monday morning with renewed vigor and dedication.
The Return
Spend the day out of the house, away
from work, and without your gadgets, and I can guarantee that you’ll
return home at the end of the day feeling, on some level, transformed.
Your journal will be full of new ideas. You’ll be physically tired but
mentally recharged.
