3 Big Misconceptions About Taking A Sabbatical

Taking a sabbatical is a good idea for a lot of reasons, but people often misunderstand why they are useful. Many people also get the wrong idea about taking lots of time off and they think that it will damage their career and their life in some way. Unfortunately, these misconceptions mean that so many people are not benefitting from taking a sabbatical when they could be. These are some of the biggest misconceptions about sabbaticals and why you should take one.

You Should Only Take One When You’re Burnt Out

The biggest misconception about sabbaticals is that you should only take one when you are completely burnt out. They have this idea that you should work yourself to the bone and only when the stress becomes so much that you feel like you can’t go on anymore should you think about taking some time out. But even though sabbaticals do help you recharge your batteries, there are a lot of other great reasons to take one. It gives you time to focus on personal goals and it can give you more perspective on your career. So don’t think that you only deserve a sabbatical if you are under extreme stress. If there are things you want to achieve in life or you just want some time to focus on yourself, those are perfectly valid reasons to take a year off work.

You Can Only Take One

The general perception is that people only take one sabbatical in their lifetime. It’s seen as a time when you can achieve that big thing that you’ve always wanted to do, and it’s a once in a lifetime experience. But that isn’t the case at all and there is no reason why you can’t take regular sabbaticals throughout your life. In fact, best-selling novelist and corporate leader Karan Bajaj advocates taking a sabbatical every 4 years. It gives time to achieve more personal goals instead of focusing on one single thing, and it’s an effective way to find more balance in your life. By having regular time off to focus on yourself, you will ultimately be happier.

It Will Stall Your Career

This is the number one reason that people don’t take sabbaticals when they should. They worry that taking significant time out will stall their career and other people will overtake them, meaning that they miss out on opportunities for advancement. However, the opposite is actually true. If you want to advance your career and get promotions, you need to be at the top of your game. Unfortunately, it’s hard to stay motivated and put the work in if you haven’t had enough time off, even if you love your job. When you take a sabbatical, you will return to the role with your batteries recharged, ready to hit the ground running. You also have a fresh new perspective on the job so you can bring great new ideas and a different approach. This all means that you are more effective and you are actually more likely to progress.

It’s important that you ignore these myths about taking a sabbatical and consider taking some time out if you think it will benefit you.