Sabbatical

{suh-bat-i-kuh-l} From the Greek sabbatikos, meaning of the Sabbath. 1. Pertaining to the Sabbath 2. Pertaining to a time of rest. 3 Any extended period of leave from one’s customary work, especially to rest or to acquire new skills or training etc.

“Sabbatical’ is not a word that comes up in everyday conversation all that often, particularly in this country with its culture of long work periods and limited time off. It may not seem that way to some folks but compared to our European friends we are an overworked and overwrought society that doesn’t spend near enough time rejuvenating the body and mind. That may explain why our society tends to rely on psychiatric drugs, self-help books, Dr. Phil, and other goofball therapists more than any other society on the planet. Perhaps we’re driving ourselves little nuts buy not taking a break to allow ourselves a chance to re-think, and reorder our priorities, as well as rest and heal the body from time to time.

The word “sabbatical” has been spoken many times a day in our household over a period of several months. My wife Lee works for an organization that allows its upper management staff an eight-week sabbatical every seven years. She works for Catholic Charities as the Director of a large Child Care and Family Center. I’m very aware that in this country a sabbatical is not all that common and she is very fortunate to have that benefit as part of her work compensation. I wish more companies and organizations would provide that opportunity to their staffs- they would find the benefits to the organization would far outweigh the costs. But unfortunately most American employers can’t see past the next fiscal quarter, so the thought of a long-term investment in staff doesn’t get much play.

Lee’s sabbatical has come to an end now and she has returned to her job. I wanted to share some of my observations of her sabbatical and the way she has handled it. In doing so, I think I might be able to pass along some of the lessons she learned and that we’ve spoken about over the course this experience. To set the stage, I’ll tell you that her employer imposes no rules or expectations upon their staff when they approve sabbaticals. That is, they allow their staff the freedom to use the time as they see fit. Of course, the first image that might come to mind is to just do nothing, relax and enjoy time off, as a way to spend eight weeks of additional paid leave. If she had chosen to do that it would have been just fine with her bosses- but she didn’t do that. Instead, Lee chose another (and I think) much more productive way to use this incredible gift of the Sabbatical.

Her method was to plan well in advance for how she would use that time in a way that would lead to self-improvement and create a more satisfying work experience upon her return from her sabbatical. Lee had been feeling like she was losing some of her enthusiasm for her job after being at it for so long. In truth I think all of us have had that feeling from time to time where we just believe that the challenge or the fun has gone out of the job we used to love. Some might call it burn-out. Lee was feeling that way. So going through a very thoughtful planning process and making intentional, conscience decisions about how the spend the eight weeks was absolutely the right way to approach her sabbatical. The months of preparation also gave her the added benefit of not wasting the time due to lack of preparation. Even though eight weeks sounds like a long time- it can go by surprisingly fast.

Lee has always felt like she wasn’t the most creative person in the world, so she decided to use her sabbatical working on the issue of creativity. I wonder how many of us would face the prospect of eight-weeks off by going directly at an area that would really challenge us to do the hard work of altering something fundamental about ourselves. Again, this goes to show you that she was determined to use this time for a real accomplishment. In preparation she spent a good deal of time before her sabbatical started doing research and creating a reading list of books and articles dealing with the subject of creativity. She  was also determined that in order to make the most of this opportunity, she should establish a routine about how her days would be spent. She looked in to the class schedules at the gym we belong to and decided to engage in some physical pursuits that she had not attempted before. In essence she established a daily schedule that encompassed both physical and intellectual exercise- and she stuck to it.

When to big day finally came Lee was ready to embark on her sabbatical with the intent of making some meaningful changes to invigorate her work life and add to her personal growth. Part of the first week was spent with her sister at the lake, as a way to make a clean break from the routine of work and clear her head of the details that so many of us tend to live by in our busy work days. Aside from having some good quality time with her big sis, this very intentional move really allowed her to cleanse her mind of the rigors of the workplace and become more open to learning new things. And, of course she took no calls or e-mail from work during the course of the whole sabbatical. The next few weeks went as planned. There was no sleeping in. Lee got up early to have a good breakfast and begin looking over materials she would study later. Then it was off to the gym for a couple of hours. Typically the first hour there would involve some kind of very vigorous exercise followed by Yoga. When not doing her own aerobic routine she would take a step-aerobic class, a fitness and weight-lifting class or even Zumba. Having never practiced Yoga she really got into it -and is now totally dedicated to the practice. Afternoons were spent both reading and writing. Lee moved through her reading list learning as much as she could about the creative mind and the creative process. She learned that part of that process came from expressing one’s self during the learning phase. So journaling and writing to and for herself became an invaluable tool in the process.

Creativity itself can be kind of nebulous thing if viewed from the point of view that says creativity can only be expressed in the production of a creative object. We usually think of creativity in the production of a work of art, some craft  we master, or some new invention. What she learned, and what I share with you now is that creativity is best expressed in new ways of thinking. Both her study of the subject, and her own intuition took her in a new direction of defining creativity, and in doing so, opened up new possibilities that she had not considered before. There is no way I can  encapsulate all of her study on this subject into this essay. But, I will summarize by saying that the creative mind is not one that must always produce the previously unimagined and unique innovations- creativity is the art of making connections in the world around us that most people do not allow themselves to make.  Creative people see things and ideas through a different lens and synthesize those things in ways most of us don’t dare allow ourselves to attempt. The good news from her experience and study is that we can all be more creative if we take the time make a conscientious effort to think about things in new ways. Most of us get stuck in observing the world, our lives, and our work through a set of preconceived, self-imposed rules known as paradigms. Challenging our own assumptions and permitting ourselves to have a different view enables us all to be more creative.

Lee used her new-found understanding of this process to make some changes that will help keep the process going, even as she moves back into the work world with all its daily challenges. Here are some examples of how she is continuing the creative process she began during her sabbatical. She revamped her work space to remove the big desk and create more comfortable seating in her office. Conferences with parents and staff are a big part of her day, so making a better environment, more open and inviting for communication will foster more creativity among those she sees and herself. She has challenged her staff to break their old paradigms and begin thinking more creatively about how to teach children, and not be afraid to try new ways to educate. She has tackled a few of the problems that met her upon her return with far different approaches than she ever attempted before. On the personal side of things she has made some of those physical activities she began during her sabbatical a part of her lifestyle and arranged the time to do it because she has decided it's important for her health and happiness.  In truth her study of creativity has led to recreating herself- and that kind of creativity has benefits in all other aspects of life.

I’m taking some inspiration from her sabbatical experience. I don’t get an actual sabbatical from my employer but that doesn’t mean that I can’t make conscience decisions to reflect on my life and my work in new ways. Once we decide that we can act or think differently-half the battle is won. As part of my new way of doing things I’ve decided that I’m going to revisit some old activities and pursue them in new ways. I will not spend quite so much time writing (these essays) as I have been, and I will be spending more time with my old friends photography and painting, along with a couple of new activities I picked up over the last few years. These blog entries will come less frequently. I’m going to seek out relaxation and recreation in new areas I haven’t tried before. I’m inspired to keep learning new things. I’m absolutely convinced that to maintain health and vigor one must decide we’re never too old learn or evolve. I don’t intend to stay stagnant and ignore the nearly infinite possibilities out there to explore. These are the lessons I learned from Lee’s sabbatical- and most importantly I learned that we are our own best creation, and we should all endeavor to nurture it.   

Thanks for looking in.