Playbook:On Sabbatical
Give yourself time away from the whirlwind of work to explore what matters to you, redefine your ambition, and shape the next phase of your life with intention.
Are you still deciding? Check out Thinking of a Sabbatical.
Donald Merrill on Unsplash
Many people are wanting to take a real break from work
The below are real quotes from conversations I’ve had.
- I don’t want to keep grinding through work and life. I want to make a change. Not sure what but it’s going to be a big one.
- I used to love my work… but now the magic is gone. I can’t stay but I’m not sure what to do instead.
- I’ve been working 80-hour weeks for ages. I’m likely to get promoted in a couple of months but I want neither the jobs nor the lives that more senior people have at my company. I’m in the wrong career.
A sabbatical sounds awesome but…
- I’ve worked hard ever since I entered the job market. I got promoted fast, landed great jobs and am well-recognised in my company and my industry. I’m really worried about how much of dent this going to make in my career.
- I’m really worried about money. I can live off of my savings for a while but I can’t afford to not make money for a long time.
- You say sabbaticals can ‘unveil a radically new sense of self’. What if mine doesn’t and I’ve wasted my time? What if it does and I don’t like it?
- I’ll be alone… who helps when I’m stuck?
Research published by Harvard Business Review in 2023 describes three kinds of sabbatical: the working holiday, spent on a passion project; the free dive, for those who “needed an adventure and a soul reset”; and the quest, for those whose work path had become untenable. All three tend to lead somewhere transformational.
Alongside that, The Washington Post argues that career breaks are becoming key to making work work, and that what looks like an “end of ambition” in younger workers is really a redefining of it.
This playbook is for those who have taken the leap
Since my sabbatical in 2022 I have guided more than 60 people with their own journeys and written extensively on the topic.
The ‘On Sabbatical’ playbook combines the wisdom from all those conversations into a self-paced digital guided journey that will help make your time away from work a transformational experience. In it, I address the main challenges that people stumble into when on sabbatical, and share thoughts and exercises that will help you shape your time off so that it feels transformational.
I will accompany you from the moment you step out of your working environment to the moment you start shaping what you want the next phase of your life to look like. I won’t tell you what that phase should look like, but I will point you in useful directions, point out typical challenges you might run into, and help you shape an environment from which true transformation can emerge.
Here’s what’s inside
Welcome
I’ll introduce you to how the playbook works and share my own sabbatical story. You’ll also find out what the invitations, quests and visual maps at the end of each section are for.
Intentions, phases and transitions
We’ll start with why you should set intentions rather than goals when you don’t yet know where you’re going. I’ll walk you through the three phases of a sabbatical so you know which one you’re in, and invite you to mark your transitions with a ritual.
Resting: easier said than done
Rest is the first thing everyone tells you to do, and the hardest for ‘overachieving doers’ to actually do. We’ll look at why, at the identity void that opens up when the job disappears, and at how to calm your nervous system down.
Reconnecting with your true ‘wants’
Curiosity is a muscle, and after years of work yours may have atrophied. You’ll learn how to train it back, and how to tell what you want from what you think you should want. We’ll also go deep on the two things people say changed everything: movement and writing.
Starting from a blank page
An empty diary can be disorienting. We’ll look at your sabbatical as a 50,000-piece puzzle you can’t rush, at ways of structuring your time, at aligning with your natural rhythms, and at what to do on the bad days.
Building an abundance mindset
You’ll get a script for the ‘so what do you do?’ question, and a cheat code for finding your people online. I’ll share the shift from scarcity to abundance that let me shape the next phase from hope rather than fear, and how to keep a healthy distance from your old world.
Redefining your relationship to money and work
I’ll get real about how much I spent, on what, and how that compares to what I would have spent if I hadn’t left. We’ll also talk about whether to make money at all.
Nomading as an accelerator for transformation
Travelling and nomading are not the same thing. You’ll learn why settling properly into a new place takes at least two weeks, why three months is the minimum stay worth making, how to pick destinations with reason and intuition, and why you shouldn’t plan more than three months ahead.
Becoming the author of your life
Going on sabbatical gives you a view of your old scripts from the outside. I’ll share two beliefs I rewrote — about status and about money — as a model for examining your own, so you can choose what to build the next phase on.
In each section, you will find short videos, useful resources, short exercises and longer quests to help you reflect on your journey, and take action in a playful and constructive way.
By the end you won’t just have watched and read a playbook. You’ll have words to talk about what you’re going through, a handful of tools for the difficult days, ideas on how to answer awkward questions like “so what do you do?”, and — if you do the exercises I recommend — a set of beliefs about work, money and ambition that you’ve surfaced yourself. From there, you build your next chapter.
Here’s what people have said about the playbook
On Sabbatical was by far the most helpful resource I used to navigate and make the most of my year away from work.
It helped me create structure — on my terms — during the most unstructured period of my life to date. I also loved the blend of Cécile’s short talks on a range of topics along with guided journaling exercises. She offers insightful perspectives on how to reset your nervous system after years of executing corporate demands, how intentional travel can help amplify your inner voice and gain perspective, or simply how to connect with your ’true wants’. I was able to redefine my ambition such that it elevates my own wants and needs, which has made a huge and positive difference!
On Sabbatical has also given me tools that I will carry with me beyond my year away from work to be more present, ask myself important questions, and make changes to my life circumstances if ever I find they have ceased to align with what matter most to me. I can’t thank Cécile enough for helping me through this journey. I’m living much better today thanks to it.
I’m so grateful I found Cecile’s sabbatical course. It’s a practical and compassionate guide, and full of permission to slow down.
During my sabbatical I was cycling through so many emotions that it was hard to make sense of them, and at times it felt lonely. Hearing Cecile name and normalize those feelings was incredibly reassuring, it made me feel seen and less alone.
She also covers a breadth of practical topics — from travelling and creating structure, to managing emotions and physiology, navigating highs and lows, and reconnecting with what you truly want. It’s helping me make the most of this unique experience.
I am still amazed how Cecile distilled her sabbatical coaching into a clear and easily digestible guide for the rest of us. Highly recommend it for anyone planning or already on a sabbatical.
Honoured to be one of the first to benefit from On Sabbatical, chocked full of wisdom and gentle learnings. Cecile’s style is light, respectful and encouraging, sending you on mini quests into your own exploration with helpful nudges.
Loved the combination of short videos, visual roadmaps after each section, journal prompts and the full script so I can absorb the materials again. My main takeaways have been the importance of rest, nomading is different to travelling, you can’t do everything all at once & finally that there’s people out there on sabbatical to connect with!
Cecile has done an amazing job putting together ‘On Sabbatical’. As someone who is on that journey right now, I can relate to a lot of what has been included in this course. The structure, content and concise yet insightful topics really resonate and helps one better prepare to explore more during their sabbatical.
Cecile has combined a lot of personal insights along her journey with other learnings and resources. I love the summaries after each section and the resources section which are really a treasure for those who want to get more from their sabbatical.
On Sabbatical is an invaluable resource for anyone planning or currently on a sabbatical. The course draws from Cécile’s own sabbatical experience and her extensive reflection on the process, which she has translated into practical, actionable advice.
The module-based structure offered the flexibility to engage at my own pace, allowing me to fully explore all videos in modules that were most interesting and relevant to my personal journey. The reflective exercises interspersed throughout the course encouraged deep, personal engagement with the content. Cécile also loves supporting people on their journey, and she provided personal responses when I had questions specific to my circumstances that were not addressed in the course.
Overall, On Sabbatical helped me focus my sabbatical and alleviate the anxiety associated with taking time off from work. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking to transform their break from work into an opportunity for meaningful personal growth.
Hearing Cécile share her experience on sabbatical on a podcast made me realise that this is something I could do too. But it’s only once I spoke with her directly that I was able to fully give myself permission to take a year off.
I’m very grateful for her guidance and constructive nudges!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this playbook for?
It’s for anyone who has already handed in their notice, or already left. Whether you’re in your first week or your eighth month, whether you’re travelling or at home, this is for people who want their time off to be transformational rather than just restful.
I’m already months into my sabbatical. Is it too late?
No. Most people who buy the playbook are already a few months in. The material is organised around the three phases of a sabbatical, so you can start wherever you are and skip what’s behind you.
Do I need to have done ‘Thinking of a Sabbatical’ first?
No. The two playbooks stand alone. ‘Thinking of a Sabbatical‘ is for deciding whether to leave. ‘On Sabbatical’ picks up once you have.
How long will it take me to complete the playbook?
As long as you want or need. Some will go through it in a few sittings. Most will dip in and out over the months of their sabbatical.
Will I have direct access to you or others?
Mostly no. There’s no community or cohort feature. If you have a question as you go through it, you can send me an email (available on the platform) and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
I’m not travelling. Is this still relevant?
Yes. Nomading is one of nine sections, and it’s there because people ask about it in conversations. The rest, from resting to money to becoming the author of your life, applies wherever you are.
Most transition programmes cost a fortune. Why not this?
I believe everyone should be able to engage with a process like this if they want to, and not everyone can afford experiences that cost thousands of dollars. I recorded the videos at home with a camera, a microphone and a lamp. I’m not offering you access to world-renowned coaches or in-person retreats. What you get is thoughtfully-crafted material to go through at your own pace.
$200, paid once, with access for as long as the playbook exists. A fraction of what most transition programmes cost. And if it isn’t what you hoped for, there’s a 30-day refund policy.