In a few days, I'll step away from work for three months. It's my first extended break in over a decade of building my career.
About a year and a half ago, a close friend left his investment banking job to take a sabbatical. The concept wasn't new to me, but I didn't know anyone who had walked away from a well-established career to meaningfully reflect on life. After spending time with him and seeing how fundamentally it had changed his outlook, the idea took root.
My time off during the Christmas 2024 break made it unavoidable. I spent most of the break coding work-adjacent side-projects and managed to get pulled into an incident on my birthday. I spent a lot of time reflecting on this period and the fact that my core identity had become intertwined with work.
For a long time, I considered this normal. As I took on more responsibility in my roles, it became increasingly difficult to switch off or step back, even when it was what I genuinely needed.
My research on the concept of a sabbatical led me to DJ DiDonna and his Sabbatical Project, which gave me more confidence on how to approach my time off, breaking it up into 3 key phases:
- Disconnect and Heal
- Explore
- Integrate
I know that disconnecting and healing will be the most difficult part of this journey, and I’ve dedicated the bulk of my time to it, mixed with exploration throughout Europe (including seeing the Northern Lights) and a trip to Zanzibar.
There's a lot I haven't figured out. I don't know if I'll write code or work on side projects. Right now, I'm actively avoiding software engineering and directing my energy elsewhere: writing more, experimenting with videography, getting back into running. This list will evolve based on what energises me and what I actually need.
I'll share updates every two weeks, at least six posts over the course of this journey. If you want to follow along as it happens, I'm on Instagram and may post on TikTok as well.