The Power of Time Off

I have taken a few sabbaticals in my life. One was a one year sabbatical where I went to India to train and to reach the next level in my dance under the revered KJ Sarasa. The next one I spent it in the mountains in Santa Fe. For me these sabbaticals have been invaluable source of insight, inspiration and experimentation. I felt and sensed tremendous growth during these sabbaticals. But never could quite articulate the value of taking time off. Hence, I was delighted when I heard this talk - it affirmed my choices and articulated alot of the benefits one receives from a sabbatical. Issues like how do you structure a sabbatical? Where do you go for a sabbatical? How do you not get trapped in some retreat where someone else's agenda (as opposed to yours) prevails? These are some critical questions to ask before you start your sabbatical. Otherwise a sabbatical becomes more of an escape. An escape from the "real" world. A chance to recover from a corporate burnout. Not that these are not legitimate reasons for a time off. But I am not sure if that translates into a sabbatical. A sabbatical for me has been about getting to the next level. About reclaiming one's deeper connection and love for one's passion. Sometimes when you do that it does not translate so well into real world profits. But it gives you a sense of clarity and renewed energy. And that in turn may help you make some gradual changes in your "real" life so that you make better choices.

What I really liked about this talk was that Stefan took time off to play and be creative. This creativity was apart from his commercial work but ultimately he knew how to channel his sabbatical findings into his work post-sabbatical. This is the true beauty of a sabbatical - to create a bridge between your passion and your vocation.