Time to take a sabbatical from work?

I’ve created two sabbatical playbooks

Whether you’re thinking about going on sabbatical or you’ve already taken the leap, you are right in the middle of an experience that — if done well — can transform your life in a meaningful way.

I’ve pulled together two playbooks that provide you with structure at a time where you might feel like you’re stuck staring at a blank page, with insights and stories from me and others to help you spot opportunities for growth as well as navigate hardships effectively, and with a whole lot of resources for you to dive into as and when you feel drawn to them.

• Thinking of a Sabbatical

  A self-paced digital playbook that gives you everything you need to consciously decide if going on an extended break from work is the right move for you

  (For those who haven’t made a decision)

  Find out more

• On Sabbatical

  A self-paced digital playbook with insight, structure and resources to help you turn your sabbatical into a transformational experience.

  (For those who have already leapt)

  Find out more

A bit more about my experience on sabbatical

After 12 years working intensely for big businesses in strategy and transformation roles, including 7 years in leadership and senior leadership positions, I decided to take an intentional break and go on a 12-month sabbatical in 2022.

My first intention was to rest. My second intention was to figure out what kind of work I would end up doing, and life I would end up living, if I stepped out of the constraints of traditional work, stopped ‘doing’ things constantly, and followed my curiosity for a while.

Of course I was worried about the dent this would make in my career and about living off of the savings I had been building up for a house deposit. I was also terrified that ‘following my curiosity’ would result in me realising that I was not a curious person after all.

Taking the leap was absolutely worth it!

I ended up taking on all sorts of small projects that sparked my curiosity: writing regularly, designing my first blog and then my own website, starting a newsletter, appearing on my first podcast, making my first YouTube video, and attending courses and retreats that developed my writing, design and leadership skills in ways the corporate world never taught me. All this while living in 6 different countries, including 6 months in Indonesia.

This has been an incredible opportunity to reconnect with what matters most to me, define my own identity, and redefine what ambition looked like for me in both work and life. Something I had been finding impossible to do while working demanding jobs.

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I then returned to work four days a week on a brilliant project. On the side, I created the first of my two digital sabbatical playbooks, ‘On Sabbatical’. Then in March 2024 I decided to leap into self-employment — which is where I am today.

I now see my sabbatical as a practice round for self-employment. Nothing on this website — ideas, design, blog posts, playbooks — would exist today if my past self hadn’t had the courage to take a break from my career. It’s my sabbatical that gave me the idea, the experience and the confidence to take the leap into self-employment today, and I’m immensely grateful for that.

Since then I’ve spoken with a bit more than 60 people about sabbaticals. Half were thinking about it, a third had already left, the rest were preparing. Software engineers and product managers, people from finance, strategy and marketing, big corporations, top consultancies, start-ups and not-for-profits. Some a few years into their careers, some twenty. Calling in from the US, India, the UK and beyond.

Every single one of those journeys was unique. And every one of those people had gifts that proper time off work would let them grow and unleash.