Flowing Freely

Let’s discuss how I will create balance and simplify life on my sabbatical.

Hi! This week makes 6 weeks since I left the corporate gig, and It’s been non-stop. With celebrating my mom’s birthday in Alaska, connecting with f(r)amily back home, and exploring NYC, one of my favorite cities, it’s been a series of adventures, lessons, and reflections.

As I wrap up my summer travel, I’m excited to kick off my 3-month creative sabbatical in a few weeks. Since I’m figuring this out as I go, it’s important for me to not only rest but also be intentional about how I spend my time.  

In a previous role, the company I worked for developed the ethos Work, Love, Play to serve as the foundation of its culture. Which got me thinking: how can I use a similar approach to create personal themes for my sabbatical journey? 

So I defined these three for myself: Work, Learn, Play. 

Work: The Power Hours

I want to reframe the way I think about work. I know usually it can be many tasks consisting of client meetings, creating deliverables, or responding to emails. However, what magic can I create when I focus on the opportunities where creativity meets purpose?

As I think about how I structure these power hours, I want to make sure I leave more time in my ‘week’ for learning and the art of play. So, right now this means only taking power hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at a max of 10 hours a week. This will allow me to still manage my responsibilities but also prioritize balance. What that looks like in detail? I plan to document it all, but make sure you are subscribed as I share my process in future newsletters.

Learn: Cultivate Growth

One of my life mantras is “forever a student.” So introducing “Learn” as one of my sabbatical themes was key. I’m not talking about traditional studying, but embracing new experiences and perspectives that expand my horizons. 

Whether that’s exploring new spots in the area or attending a workshop on interests out of my comfort zone, I am a firm believer you can learn anything from anyone - including yourself. There are moments when you need to change your environment (big or small) to really dive deep and discover new parts of yourself. So I’m open and ready to see where it will take me.

Play: Refuel My Spirit

My favorite theme and the one I plan to focus on the most. I was talking to my therapist, and she advised me to make room for play daily. When you’re a recovering perfectionist and overthinker, being in play mode isn’t always the first thing top of mind. Yet, the ability to create without constraints and connect with those who inspire me is always my preference. While exploring all my creative activities just for expression, not perfection, I aim to focus on the joy of the moment with the hope that this will spark creativity in other areas of my life.

The intention is to use this sabbatical as a space of ease and flow, so these themes I’ve created are meant to be used as life enhancers, not tasks. There’s a difference between completing a checklist and doing purposeful work. In due time, my hope is to figure out what that looks like for me. 

I want to hear from you. What themes can you identify in your life? What tools and methods do you use to balance your day-to-day? Leave a comment and let me know below.