Rhiwbina Living Issue 55

Plan your sabbatical
With some careful planning, a sabbatical can be a life-affirming and
soul-nourishing experience. Here are some useful tips
Defi ne what success looks like to you
Taking yourself away from your current life is a big deal so you'll want to
have some sort of definition of what you're looking to achieve by taking a
sabbatical.
Are you looking to heal from something? How would a sabbatical play a
part in that? Are you looking for inspiration in some form? Maybe you're
seeking a purpose in life. How will a sabbatical help you on your return?
Think about what you'd like to come back with in terms of personal
development. Try and put into words what success might look like to you.
It'll help with your planning and post-sabbatical reflection.
30
Think about why
you'd like to take a
sabbatical
Planning something as big and
as important as a sabbatical
will take some thorough
planning. And while there are
some general steps to follow,
remember that you have
different needs to those who
have perhaps gone before you.
Start by thinking about the
reasons why you are wanting to take a break. These reasons can help
underpin your entire experience and help shape your time away.
Are you wanting to get away from your current life? Are you looking to
recharge your batteries? Or are you wanting to return to your life with a
fresh new perspective on everything?
Whatever your reasons, get them down in black and white so that you can
start formulating your sabbatical.
Make a wish list
This is the part where you can really let
your hair down and decide what sort of
things you'd like to experience.
It's often a good idea to catch up on
travel documentaries or do some travel
reading. You can even spend time online
discovering potential places to visit and
things to do - and creating a Pinterest
board if that works for you.
Whatever you decide, make the list as
long as you like. You can always trim it
later.
Create a sabbatical
fund
None of this sabbatical will be
possible without the ability to
fund yourself while you are away.
You may need to look at your
current financial circumstances
and figure out how it is going to
be possible. You may need to
consider renting out your house
on a short-term deal if you don't
have the funds up front.
There will also need to be an
element of financial planning
to ensure that you are able to
support yourself for the duration
of the sabbatical. The last thing
you want to do is stress about
money when you're attempting
to develop yourself.
With this in mind, creating a
budget should help you on your
way. Things to consider are travel
costs, accommodation costs,
food and drink, as well as day-today
living expenses.
Come to a figure for a daily
budget and you can bear that in
mind while you are away.