Why you should take a sabbatical? A sabbatical is almost essential in today’s fast-paced world where everyone is working throughout the day without any respite. A sabbatical is the only time in your life when you can actually assess your life, your goals, your relationships and your career with a clear mind and make decisions for the future.
A career break is more than just a recharging of batteries or a short refresher. It is meant to be a life-altering period that dictates where you will end up in the long run. Some people have gone for sabbaticals not knowing what they were going to do next year and returned with their future as far up as retirement completely sorted out.
Here a few great reasons why you should take a sabbatical:
- The chance to learn new skills
When you’re on a career break, you have a lot of spare time. What better way to spend that extra time than learning a new skill or two. Was learning French a dream of yours that you never got around doing? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to cook but never had time?You can use the time that you have to practice and learn things you want. The more you practice, the faster you’ll learn. You just won’t ever have as much time to practice as you do during your sabbatical, so make use of it. Remember no new skill, no matter how mundane it seems, is ever useless. - Focus on personal goals
When you’re working a 9-5 job, there isn’t much time for anything else. Your personal priorities tend to fall by the wayside. By taking a sabbatical you have the chance to rediscover your personal goals. Rediscover old interests, reignite a passion, get in touch with old friends, everything is possible if you have time. All of this will help you clear up your mind and understand who you are. It will broaden your perspective and make your personal and professional goals all the more clearer. - Travel and explore new cultures
If you’re feeling bogged down by your work or life’s toughness in general you need a sabbatical to travel the world and experience new cultures. There is so much to this world that never meets our eye, because we are stuck in our own lives and that is all we know. When you explore new things, see how other people live, it will open up your mind to a myriad of possibilities. You will find that your life is really not that bad. It will give you fresh impetus to live life to the fullest. - Get out of the rut
Let’s face it, most of us live very structured lives. It’s the same old thing every day. It’s a rut that makes life meaningless for some. We are like robots programmed to just go about life without any purpose. If that’s how you feel, you need a sabbatical. Get out of the rut. Start going out more, meeting new people, partying more often, be more spontaneous. Life is a lot more than just rules to follow.A sabbatical or career break could be the key to inspiring your creativity. Let your creative side out. Do what makes you tick. Build something with your hands, cook, paint, do something creative. Get in touch with your inner creative genius! - Educational advancement
If you feel like you need further studies to advance your career, a sabbatical is much needed. Many employers even help employees in such cases, and it would be wise to sell your employer this idea. Further education would advance your skill set and make you more useful to your organization. Personally, it would give you a greater chance for professional advancement. You’d be more likely to get a higher level job with a higher salary, benefits, etc.
