Sabbaticals and career breaks are amazing experiences – or can be. But sometimes listening to individuals express their ideas about what they’d like to do is as exciting as exploring competing healthcare plans. Why? The ideas are vague, not aligned to specific personal or career goals and reflect small-inside-the-box thinking.
Here’s what people have said when asked what they think they’d like to do on their sabbaticals – with a little side commentary from us to spice up your reading:
I think I’d enjoy a yoga retreat in the mountains somewhere, maybe in Oklahoma. (Our reaction: For the entire 8 weeks? That’s it?)
What I’d like to do is fish – just fish. (Great idea but can we spend some time thinking about what you might learn to make you a better CEO. And are you fishing in your neighbor’s pond or in a wild river in Chile?)
I’d like to travel. (Where? More importantly, why?)
My family wants to go camping. (In the back yard? Central America? And is this what you want for the entire experience?)
To inspire some outrageous ideas and prompt a little more excitement in your sabbatical planning, I propose thinking not out-of-the-box, but out-of-the-dollhouse. 
These pictures of The Lily Pad – a dollhouse for Lily who will turn 3 this month – might jumble your brain and get your creative juices flowing.
This is a first in the family of Betsy Bragg whose sister, Barb is Lily’s grandmother. Here’s what she told me about the idea and execution:
Russell is Barb and Rick’s neighbor outside of Atlanta and is in the running for best neighbor in the world. He is retired, and spends his time making people all around him happy from bathroom renovations, garden greenhouses, iron gates, patios, sharing big boy toys (earth-moving equipment) and a never ending list of “Let’s do this!” This was his idea and he and Rick built it complete with tile, furniture, and lighting. Lily has a birthday coming up and will be 3 (that is Lily in the Superman cape)!
My idea of what a dollhouse is – or could be with vision – absolutely exploded when I learned about The Lily Pad.
All of us can start thinking bigger. Do that as you plan what your career sabbatical experience might be. Make it amazing – like Lily’s dollhouse.
Happy Birthday Lily!
4 Responses (add yours)
For our Sabbatical, my husband and I are planning a sailing trip. Since it is 2 years away, we are just looking into destinations. However, in the planning stages now, we have joined a sailing club where we “timeshare” sailboats in order to improve our skills and confidence. Our shorter vacations involve sailing trips to different destinations to find the type of geography we enjoy the most (i.e., Carribbean, Northwest, East Coast…)By taking small steps toward the larger goal, we will be more likely to nail it.
Starting 2-years out can indeed boost your confidence and skills for the sailing. And oh what you’ll learn along the way – about yourself, each other, the cruising community and mother nature!
The economy hasn’t dashed your dreams of a career break. Good for you, Jules. Thanks for your example of thinking – and executing- in an out-of-the-dollhouse style.
Wow…I’d love to take a sabbatical, but unfortunately my bills won’t let me do it. My list of what I’d do is way too long here, but first and foremost I have to say I’d like to spend the entire time working for the benefit of abused and homeless animals. It’s my passion and one I’m only able to dedicate a small amount of time to right now.
By the way, that’s some dollhouse!! More like a home for a smaller person. That Russell is one very special person and obviously cares a lot about his friends, neightbors, family and community!
Dear WD,
What a worthy passion you have. Sabbatical might not be possible now but I can only imagine the benefits for abused and homeless animals you could generate from a block of time devoted only to that.
Barbara