Quitting, Sabbaticals, and Meaningful Work

Sabbaticals, Learn-Work-Retire, Self-Exploration, Quit & Pivot, Your Calling

I.

Sabbaticals

People leave their jobs for a variety of reasons. Some reach a boiling point, while others burn out from the artificial busyness pervasive in corporate work. Some seek a calling in place of a mere job, yet others intrinsically enjoy their work but need a respite from monotony. Regardless of the reason, one solution to workplace fatigue is taking a sabbatical.

In a thought-provoking TED talk, Stefan Sagmeister shared a bizarre practice observed in his renowned design studio: Every seven years, the firm takes a 365-day hiatus. This sabbatical year is not one spent in idle laziness, however; it’s spent experimenting. Without commissioned work, Sagmeister and his team of designers spend their time pursuing whatever interests them. During a past sabbatical spent in Bali, the team crafted bespoke furniture, produced a portrait series inspired by the island’s wild dogs, and started filming a movie about happiness. None of this was pre-planned. Sagmeister also took up a meditation practice and caught up on long-overdue reading. One book he got around to during his time off was Stumbling on Happiness by Dan Gilbert; a book that Gilbert himself wrote while on sabbatical.

While sabbaticals offer an alluring opportunity for experimentation and recharge, they don’t come naturally. For many people, their entire lives revolve around a calendar of tasks, appointments, and deadlines. Without structure, it’s easy to succumb to anxiety or fabricate trivial tasks to effectuate a false sense of productivity. This is not what deliberate time off should be about. To avoid this pitfall, I suggest turning off notifications, letting people know you’re busy, and start experimenting. Resist the temptation to replace work with something equally distracting or distressing.

An effective way to let people know you’re busy while on sabbatical.

II.

Learn-Work-Retire

If we are to take a page from Stefan’s book and take a yearlong sabbatical every seven years, here’s what that would look like in practice:

Stefan is not the first to advocate for regular sabbaticals. In the book of Leviticus, God is said to have instructed Moses, “For six years you may plant your fields, and for six years you may prune your vineyard and gather its produce, but the seventh year is to be a Sabbath of rest for the land.”¹ Following these instructions, the Israelites refrained from planting, pruning, harvesting aftergrowth, or picking grapes from unpruned vines every seventh year.

Etymologically, the word sabbatical comes from sabbath, which means the “day of rest.” And while the word has religious origins, you don’t even need to be spiritual to recognize the value of taking a break.

III.  

Self-Exploration

Otium, a concept from ancient Rome, refers to prolonged leisure time devoted to self-realization activities. It initially carried weight among the elite class, who would retreat from their daily obligations to pursue artistically enriching and enlightening pursuits like speech, writing, and philosophy.

Today, millions find themselves in dire need of such leisure. Exhausted and debilitated by their jobs, many cannot do much more than scroll, snack, and stream. We’ve filled our lives with busy tasks and forgotten our real priorities. We need to find our way back to ourselves.

Sabbaticals present an opportunity to reevaluate what we’re doing with our short and precious lives. They offer rejuvenation, clarity, and creativity upon our return to work. They allow us to prioritize personal connections and devote more time to loved ones. But, perhaps most importantly, they afford us the prospect to pursue the artistically enriching pursuits we’ve previously neglected.

IV.  

Quit & Pivot

I don’t believe most people are lazy. They would love to be fully, deeply engaged in something worthwhile, something that actually mattered, instead of forfeiting their limited hours on Earth to make a little more money for men they’d rather throw fruit at as they pass by in tumbrels.

Tim Kreider, It’s Time to Stop Living the American Scam

Almost two years ago, I left my last corporate job to find meaningful work. Leaving behind a laudable title and salary was an inconvenient decision, but deep down, I felt I had no other choice. If I’m only here for a short time, how could I not seek out fulfilling work? At what point would I ever find the time to do so?

Around the time I quit, I happened upon a quote of unknown origin: Most people die at 25, but are buried at 75. No wonder I felt like a zombie at work, I thought. I wondered if others felt the same. I neglected my talents, passions, and intuition to send emails and make slide decks. My creativity was stifled, my instincts buried, and my ethos compromised—all so that I could make a little more money for the company.

While the prevailing belief is that it’s irresponsible for exceptional people to take extended periods off for creative exploration, it’s equally irresponsible for them to devote their efforts to mediocre jobs. Why are gifted people spending their days in endless Zoom meetings when they could be building the future? Have they forgotten about their gifts? Have you?

Perhaps you should take some time to think that through.

V.  

Your Calling

If you’re familiar with my work, you’re likely aware that I advocate that we are all uniquely designed to do something that only we can. This thing is your vocation, your calling, your cosmic duty.

But don’t just take my word for it:

I’d tell men and women in their midtwenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.

Phil Knight, Shoe Dog

Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.

Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

The dreamers are the saviors of the world. As the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so men, through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations, are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers.

James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

1. Leviticus 25, International Standard Version