Do you know how some people say that “finding yourself” isn’t real? That it’s just an excuse used to escape serious situations. But there is some meaning to finding yourself and taking a step back from the life you’ve always known. That’s why sabbaticals are becoming more and more common nowadays.
Young adults and even middle-aged adults are taking time off school or work to focus on themselves and what they want to do in life. And you should have the privilege to do so, too, if you wish to rest and recuperate. Taking a sabbatical doesn’t mean that you’re foregoing the idea of going to school or working ever again, but it does entail a time in your life when you don’t have to worry about what happens next.
However, there are a few things you need to do before packing up and going where your feet take you because that’s what a responsible adult would do. You cannot decide this on a whim; you have to carefully plan this decision so that you won’t have to deal with the repercussions later on. That being said, here are three things you need to do before going on sabbatical for self-discovery:
Save up Good Money
Postponing your plans to go to college or university or taking time off work to find yourself will cost you money. That’s money that you’re not earning in the meantime, so that means that you have to save up some cash depending on how long you’re planning to go on sabbatical.
You’ll need money to travel and spend on affordable living while you go and discover new places and cultures. You’ll also need money to eat good food and listen to amazing music at local bars. To do that, you’ll have to make a budget and stick to it; otherwise, you might have to cut your trip short.
So if you’re planning to go on sabbatical anytime soon, you’d better start saving up some money immediately. The sooner you have the budget to spend, the sooner you can plan your trip of rediscovery.
Set Your Affairs in Order
As mentioned earlier, you can’t just decide to leave everything behind with a snap of your fingers. You’ll have to carefully plan this sabbatical so that you won’t be regretting it in the future. By setting your affairs in order before taking your leave, you’ll be saving some money in the long run, and you’ll have something to look forward to when you go home.
For instance, if you plan to take a year-long sabbatical from work, you should let your office know about it. Either you have a job to return to when you come back, or you’ll have to find another job after your sabbatical. That same principle applies when you’re renting a place. If you’re going to be gone for a year, you can lease out your place or move your things back home in the meantime so that you won’t need to pay rent or bills that you could have avoided.
You also need to let the people around you know about your plans to go on leave so that they won’t think that you have disappeared out of the blue. You wouldn’t want to worry them while you’re thinking about your personal growth, so it’s better to let them know beforehand.
Make a Plan
After you’ve made your decision to go on sabbatical, you’ll now have to make a plan. You don’t even have to stick to it once you’re out and about, but making a plan is a good place to start when you don’t know what to do.
Make a list of all the places you want to go to, the cultures you want to experience, or the food you want to eat. Also, take note of the landmarks and the tourist spots because they can be worth seeing even once in your life. Do whatever you want and more because there is no limit to what you can do on this journey.
Take a piece of paper and write down what you want to discover in yourself while you’re away from your normal life. What are the passions you want to reignite? What hobbies do you want to take on? Did you really like doing this thing people applaud you for, or did you not have a choice? This time, it’s all about you.
The whole point of taking a sabbatical is to rediscover who you are as a person. To be the person you want to become, not the person you’re trying to be because of societal standards or peer pressure. And so that you can take a well-deserved break from the daily stresses of school, work, or life. Taking some time off is not being lazy nor immature; in fact, it’s strength. Strength to confront yourself and to take the road less traveled.
