Considering a sabbatical? Tips to make it a great one

Instead of “retirement,” why not think “sabbatical?”

Image by Kindred Hues Photography on Unsplash.

It’s becoming normal to take a sabbatical. A few years ago, the Wall Street Journal reports that employers won’t penalize job applicants for short gaps on their resume. It could be timely today. Here’s the link.

People who have taken time off, the article says, have successfully returned to the corporate world or to their businesses. . One woman returned after a sabbatical, refreshed, and rose to being president of an insurance company.

Not just for corporate!

Entrepreneurs can choose sabbaticals on their own timeline. But it’s actually trickier than taking time out from a company job. Without ongoing interaction, you can lose your audience and your momentum. However, an established business can usually keep going with with a laptop, an Internet connection and a plan.

It’s often a good idea to reframe retirement as a sabbatical. A lot of people find themselves eager to “retire,” but then get that “what next” feeling. Planning a sabbatical allows you to question, “What do I really want to do next?”

So how do you set up your sabbatical as a foundation for your future career?