Sabbatical Experiences In Demand

Despite the economic downturn, business has picked up for some life sabbatical coaches.

Many people are now placing an equally high or even higher value on life outside of work: personal and family relationships; hobbies and dreams; and community. “Perhaps more interesting than the ‘where’ is the ‘what’ people are doing on sabbaticals,” said career sabbatical coach Elizabeth Pagano.

People want their sabbatical experience to be transforming, and that result requires thoughtful and careful planning.

One of Pagano’s clients is combining a walking tour with a corporate poet in the lake district of England, with attendance at a global TED conference and two months of living in London.

Another client is spending three months working on a rock musical in Toronto.

Another is taking her adopted daughter back to Vietnam to meet biological family members for the first time.

What impacts do you want from your time away from work? How do you want your sabbatical to benefit you both personally and professionally? What kind of sabbatical will result in these impacts?

Pagano said answering these questions can be challenging, but a plan is critical.

Tara Russell, founder of  Three Month Visa Coaching and Consulting, said the recession was an empowering time for many clients to re-examine what is truly important and make serious strides towards creating the life they want to live.

Some clients have ended up traveling all over the world.

“This is different for everyone; some people want adrenaline—river rafting, sky diving and bungee jumping,” Russell said. “Others want solitude, quiet and peace; months on end spent reading in a hammock. Some want a mix of both!”

“First we coach around ‘What do you really want from your trip?’ and then we figure out where you’re going to go to get it.”

Russell’s preparation process falls into three phases she calls “Get Inspired,” “Get Focused,” and “Get Going!”

The “get inspired” part is helping clients get in touch with what they really want from their trip. “Get focused” is where clients have to deal with the logistics of travel preparation—visas, immunizations, financial planning, travel insurance, etc. “Get going!” is the last few weeks before departure—”a time of wrapping up loose ends and also a great deal of celebration; saying a fond farewell to their former lives as they usher in this next amazing phase of adventure and self-realization,” Russell added.

“While most people have a mental list of places to go on a sabbatical, they also have personal accomplishments and goals that relate to their careers—whether it’s becoming a better leader, adding a global perspective or assessing their future,” said Barbara Pagano. “Boomers, for instance, look for an opportunity to re-calibrate—a chance to review their past and set new direction for their future.”

For boomer clients on sabbatical, location is important, but secondary, Pagano said. Sabbaticals for this generation is about their future work. Some 5.3 to 8.4 million Americans have now embraced encore careers, a major MetLife/Civic Ventures study on the topic reports. Between 6 and 9.5 percent have opted to return to the workforce in a different career path than the one they originally chose. With 8,000 to 10,000 people turning 60 everyday according to the U.S. Census, sabbatical coaching for boomers is part of the new retirement, Pagano concluded.

Despite the bad economy, many individuals are achieving a re-balance of life and work and seek meaningful sabbatical experiences. More important than the where to go on a sabbatical is what to accomplish personally and professionally. Life sabbatical coaches help people determine what they really desire from their trip and how they’re going to get it—the goal being a most empowering and liberating opportunities in their lives.