"Because you can't pack your life into a box."
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
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"Because you can't pack your life into a box."
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Many people envy academics who take sabbaticals. What they don't realize is that sabbaticals are not designed as time on the beach. You are supposed to use your free time to accomplish specific projects. Often you are not allowed to embark on a sabbatical if your plans seem vague or unproductive.
If this idea is totally new, even scary, you may want to practice on weekends. You may need to identify what you really want to do before you start. A coach can help. After you know what you want to do,
A creativity goal involves developing a new side of yourself, using some combination of art, music, drama, and writing. You may become an artist or take "appreciation" classes. If you travel, you can keep a journal, visit art museums or attend concerts. No ideas? Check out The Artist's Way,
by Julia Cameron, available at any bookstore. I am willing to
bet that you will have no trouble identifying playful activities
as you work through the program. Physical activity can be as simple as walking
or as rigorous as training for a marathon. Learn a new sport.
Dance. Work with a trainer in the weight room. People tell me
over and over, "I felt stronger as a person when my body
became stronger." Some goals are unique combinations of the
physical and the creative. "Build a cabin on my property,"
"Sail my boat to the island and back," "Walk the
length of the state of California and keep a journal."
Over three months, you can sign up for a class in pottery or piano. You can complete The Artist's Way program. Six months? You can draft a short book or outline a longer one. Six weeks? You can travel or go to workshops
or see all the movies you didn't have time for. A time limit can free you. Someone I know (call her Janet) finished her MBA and began drifting. She worked part-time in a restaurant in a charming resort town. She felt no rush to get a corporate job to begin her career. After several months, the restaurant closed and Janet's parents reminded her, "We supported you through school so you could get a real job!" Janet eventually built her own successful
business, but she says a time limit would have given her a sense
of direction.
Cathy Goodwin, a veteran of productive and profitable time outs, can help you create space in your life through coaching. Visit her new business
and career site. Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, career
coach and |
