My Sabbatical @ The 4 Week Mark

Settling Into A New Routine

As I shared in a recent post, I have started a 12-week paid sabbatical away from the office. 

As part of my time away, I committed to sharing my learning & experiences ever so often. Here are my learnings at the 30-day mark. That is right, I have been out of the office nearly 30 days.

The last two weeks have been mostly about taking care of household projects and commitments in the community. 

While it may not be the most exciting two week stint, regardless, there are learnings and reflections to build upon.

The World Moves Slower Outside A Company Like Microsoft

Whether I am in the office or on sabbatical, I remain active & involved in the community. Today, I sit on two boards locally. We meet on a regular basis on a myriad of topics such as financials, critical decisions and long term planning, etc.

As I was sitting thru recent executive sessions and board meetings, I realized how important learning at a company like Microsoft is. My career has prepared me for these types of discussions. It includes all aspects of critical thinking, judgement, analytical problem solving, etc. I realize that outside of that environment day to day, the world has slowed down around me and it takes a bit of time to adjust back to the pace of the business world. It takes a few moments to get back into the fray & speed of running a business and the decisions that come with it. 

While I have always been quick on my feet, a part of my successes is the endless conditioning of the fast-paced world of technology and the benefit of working in a Fortune 500 company.  Also, it reinforces the importance of using your brain every day to make decisions. It is important you stay active, read and spend time critically thinking and always learning. 

Hobbies Are A Must

At a little over a month, I think I have a basic sense of what life without a job is like. I have a glimpse into what retirement is like. A sabbatical is a wonderful opportunity. It is blissful to have time to think, ditch the dopamine (I have less than 20 emails per day) yet realize that 40 hours a week is a lot of time to fill. While, I have ‘faked my way’ thru the last two weeks with household projects, chores and time with the kids, it makes you realize that you will need things to do.  It may be traveling to new places, sit down and read a book or take up new hobbies. It may include learning new things, but it is not something I have been intentional about and it’s something that I need to go back and think about. 

I previously wrote about the importance of having purpose (and passions) and I have realized that most of those are immediate term things and I need to spend time thinking about the long term. What is the environment I want to create to support time after my career – is it traveling? Is it RVing’ around the country? Or is it even sailing where I hear every day there is ALWAYS something to do? I do know it’s not sitting around all day at home. That isn’t me and while a nicety, it won’t suit long term.

Your Network & Social Circles

What I am quickly realizing is a lot of my social circle and network is tied to the office. While I am on sabbatical I realize that most of my closest friends are still at work and have commitments. Others who are retired aren’t sitting around for my phone call, they have lives, they have commitments and are enjoying themselves. Over the last two weeks, I have worked to re-establish my network, connect with old friends. It has been fantastic. It allows me to broaden my network of friends and re-establish relationships that may have waned. I have also reconnected with friends on LinkedIn and Facebook.  A network is critical to establish and maintain. Remember relationships take work.  It is especially important you have a network that will last far outside of your 9-5 network of friends and peers. Remember, the world is a big place!

Finding Healthy Ways To Spend Time

The internet is an amazing place. No doubt, it has simplified our daily lives and provides endless information at our fingertips. Well that is part of the problem. The internet is the common day Las Vegas casino. The internet is designed with no windows, doors that are hard to find and there is never a clock to know exactly what time it is. It is a vacuum that can take you many, many places. I realize that it can create unhealthy online habits if you are not careful.

What started with a read on Flipboard about the recent impeachment inquiries (that will be my only political statement I promise) quickly became videos, articles and advertising that attempted to suck you into a 2-3 hour session of mindless, numbing entertainment. All of it was an attempt to keep you connected. It is an endless dopamine fix. While my screen time has gone down, having too much time is tricky. In addition to watching your screen time you need to maintain healthy.  It is too easy to stop exercising, to lose your way and fill the time watching TV, surfing the web or eating out of boredom. 

One month down & two months to go.  A deep sigh for what has already been a remarkable experience and with it plenty of personal learnings and reflections. It is ‘winning a free spin’ for what lies ahead after my career is over. It is never too early to plan for your next chapter.

The next two weeks are filled with father & son trips to fun locations. I am excited to have some quality time with each of the kids.  It will be great to see how things evolve and change and what new learnings lie ahead.  #refreshed, #relaxed, #sabbatical

Remember that life is a game never won or lost, only played.