Six Steps Toward a Six-Week Sabbatical

You've worked long and hard, yet you don't see retirement in your near-term view. Sooooo...how about taking a sabbatical?

Somehow I thought sabbatical was paired with the word “year.”

Silly me. Like much of modern society, most sabbatical leaves are squeezed into tighter time frames. Five weeks after five years of service is the reported average for paid and unpaid leaves.

With that updated reality in mind, Time Off Tactics' sabbatical topics and free sabbatical proposal template focus on taking six weeks off.

Action Steps You Can Take Now

It's easy to procrastinate on a “someday” goal of taking six weeks off. Because everyday demands are distracting, I've outlined six action steps that you can start this week to move your “someday” closer. OPTION FOR ACTION: Register for a free weekly Sabbatical Course by email.

STEP 1: Declare the place and purpose of your sabbatical
Where is it that you’d like to learn a new skill, explore a different culture or challenge yourself physically? What locale captures your heart as the place to volunteer your talents, immerse yourself in a creative project or spend quiet renewal time with your spouse?

Give your goal focus; craft a statement such as: “I plan to spend [#] weeks in [place] for the purpose of [specific results you want from taking extended time off from your job].”

Then post it here, with or without your name. Putting your goal in writing—and having it out there for all to see—propels further action. (The new page says Sabbatical Dream, but for you, it's a Sabbatical Goal.)

STEP 2: Open a separate sabbatical savings account
Open a new savings account with at least $100 of earnest money. Meanwhile, set a savings goal for your sabbatical and arrange regular deposits, preferably automatically. (Consistency of deposits matters more than their size.) This is an easy yet powerful step that will transform your thinking about your goal from dreaming to doing.

Resources: Your local bank or an online bank (the latter usually offers higher interest rates). If your first deposit is large enough, consider a money market fund instead.

STEP 3: Go public. Tell someone about your plans.

Not a broadcast; a confidential sharing with one or two trusted pals.

Your spouse or other significant support partner can encourage your sabbatical vision. You know, the “cheerleader” role.

But it's also helpful to have someone as a taskmaster to keep you accountable in completing the steps toward your six-weeks-off goal.

Choose a trusted co-worker or friend (or even a life coach) who is willing to challenge and check your progress. There's something about “going public” that drives action andachievement.

BONUS STEP: Log your progress on the Time Off Tactics page you created in STEP 1. Each time you've completed a step toward your sabbatical, use the “Comments” feature at the bottom of your page to shout out your progress. Ask your taskmaster to bookmark your page so s/he can follow your progress, and add his or her comments to your log.

STEP 4: Make your plans come alive with visuals
Keep focused on your sabbatical goal by surrounding yourself with visual reminders.

• Post wall maps and study travel maps of your destination.
• Display posters of your sabbatical travel destination in your home.
• Research programs and pricing related to your sabbatical plans.

Resources: Your local bookstore will have maps and travel guidebooks. Prefer online shopping? Visit my Travel Posters store or Maps.com, the world's largest map store.

STEP 5: Negotiate a flexible work arrangement
Securing a shorter-term goal of telecommuting one day a week or a seven-hour workday or Fridays off builds your confidence about your ability to negotiate non-traditional work terms. It sets the stage for requesting a sabbatical later on. You DO have leverage as a seasoned employee. Use it to move your work life closer to your terms.

Resource: Flex Success Proposal Template has helped thousands of individuals get approval of their request for a flexible work arrangement.

STEP 6: Craft the first draft of your sabbatical proposal
I know what you're thinking: “Isn't this premature? I'm nowhere near ready to go now!” Here's the value: an early draft forces you to think through the work-connected issues. It gets you to address planning steps related to a sabbatical absence from your job, as found in the Sabbatical Helps section. Get a handle on them now so you can lay the groundwork for workplace support and success of your sabbatical.

Resource: FREE Sabbatical Proposal Template gives you the ready-made language to make your request.

Want to pace yourself in completing each step? Take the free weekly Sabbatical Course by email and earn points toward a free consultation. Click here to register.

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