5 things to do with a sabbatical!

You may have chosen to take a sabbatical or your company has requested you to take some unpaid holiday. Regardless of how the time came to you you should endeavour to make the most of the time you have to spend on yourself here are the top ten things to do with a sabbatical.

1. Travel never has there been a better time to travel currencies are beginning to recover so you get more for your money. Travel companies are discounting to attract customers so you will get a better room for your money allowing you to travel as a backpacker but stay as business or luxury traveller.

2. Teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) – you don’t have to do an expensive course with the British council. i-to-i Travel
do weekend and even online courses and assist you in placements.

3. Volunteer – one thing which is important when considering volunteering overseas is that you choose an experienced organisation with which to travel, particularly if you are considering charity work. There are other types of volunteering where by you gain experience such as a kibbutz which gives you experience in different types of skills such as farm or factory work.

4. Research – using your sabbatical for study or research to further your career is a worth while and taxing undertaking. For many this is funded by a grant which requires an application and planning. Some institutes have special rates for research students.

5. Art, craft or writing - Many dream of writing a book or being able to make a living from their art. There are creative centres and retreats which have subsidised housing for sabbaticals.

What ever your reason for taking a sabbatical a life coach can help you make the most of it.

for more inspiration on sabbaticals check out

Out dated beliefs and opinions.

When we are young our culture and our parents mould our behaviour based on their ideals. If we spend our life living as a big fish in a small pond we find little to challenge our pre-formed ideas. These ideals may have served us well when we were young but as we grow and cultures evolve these opinions become outdated and some may even restrict us, stunting our grown to a time long since past.

When we venture out into the world at large and become a small fish, in a big pond our senses are assaulted by new ideas, way, cultures and dreams. We have a much wider view of reality, opening up to new horizons which until experienced we do not know exist.

This is just one reason to take a sabbatical! When have you planned your next swim? Find a life coach to make your experience even richer and productive.

What is a sabbatical?

The origin of the word Sabbatical comes from taking a break on the Sabbath so in effect we all take a sabbatical from work for the weekend. But in more recent times, a sabbatical refers to a break from something you usually do and generally refers to a career break or gap year from study. It has however become a popular euphemism for stopping something addictive for a period such as using facebook, twitter or drinking.

For the purposes of this article however we are referring to a year out from an occupation. A person generally chooses to take a sabbatical typically to fulfill some goal, e.g., writing a book or travelling extensively or for research.

Several institutes are specially designed to house people for an extended period, who have chosen to take a period of 2-12 months to undertake a creative project, such as making crafts, arts or writing. Some institutes are directed at academic research. A sabbatical however could be undertaken for just about anything. To study a pursuit in the hope to follow it as a future job, such as Yoga retreat or teacher training. Many also decide to travel or undertake volunteer work in order to widen their horizons.

The possibilities are endless, so taking the decision to take a sabbatical is only the first step. In order to make the most of the time, deep thought and careful planning is required. A life coach in this process will be invaluable.

Deciding to take a Sabbatical.

For many taking a Sabbatical, career break or year out will be a welcome change but for most making the simple decision to go will be the hardest decision to make. Turning your back on all you have come to know and stepping outside your comfort zone will be hard but ones that decision is made the rest will start to flow and your next biggest challenge after enjoying your sabbatical, will be reintegrating into everyday life.

A major asset in this entire process will be a sabbatical life coach someone to challenge your limiting thought patterns and allow you to make the most of sabbatical.

If you are considering this life changing step and are considering taking to services of a life coach email to make an appointment for your free initial session.

Would you be happier if you were richer?

Life is about balance and to experience any extreme, no matter how good that extreme may be, can and will be detrimental to your happiness. If you have ever played the board game Rich Dad poor Dad or even been rich, you will understand that with money happiness does not follow. This realisation is an important step to attaining happiness.

In a time when the economy is in turmoil and many have taken great risk and lost so much perhaps bringing more balance to ones life will become the bonus of what may seem like dark times. Perhaps now is a good time to take a Sabbatical break.

If you live outside your means you will never be happy. Make your life balanced ensure that you keep challenge in your life. If you surround yourself with everything you can never aspire to new highs. As we have seen all of that can disappear with a blink of an eye.

The true secret to happiness is to live a simple and wholesome life. Which as the buddha suggested has no ego and does no harm to others.

Eight great reasons to hire a life coach

Life coaching is holistic, dealing with mind, body and spirit. Someone can hire a life coach at any stage of their life. Below are some of the reasons or conditions for hiring a life coach:

1. You lack confidence in yourself and have low self-esteem.
2. You are not doing well academically, fail exams, and get nervous sitting exams.
3. You are very successful and want to move to the next level.
4. You want to improve your performance in business, sports and exams.
5. You are at a crossroads in your career, relationship, and spirituality.
6. You want to improve your health and well-being, for example, lose weight, stop smoking, lower blood pressure, get over anger, get over being stressed, get over emotional issues.
7. You want to manage your time effectively.
8. You want to be able to manage your children better.

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Setting goals and moving forward

A major feature of life coaching is goal setting. To get from where you are now to where you want to be you need to take steps if your goal is too far or too large you will get discouraged and the goal will lose its appeal. The best way to reach an ultimate goal is to set smaller goals which move you in the right direction.

An acronym used in management to facilitate goal setting is SMART.

Specific – You need to define your goal, the more specific you are the clearer the picture you will visualise.

Measurable – You need to be able to quantify your goal, so when you have reached it you will know. Identify how you can measure it.

Achievable – Be realistic, don’t set goals for yourself which are unattainable. If it seems too big or far away divide it in two and start with a smaller more achievable goal. Don’t make it too easy however you need to have a sense of achievement when it is met.

Relevant - Don’t forget the grand scheme goal. Is this goal relevant to get you to the grand scheme goal?

Time-bound - The goal needs a start and a finish defined. Goals without deadlines get lost in the day to day crisis’s of our lives always being put on the back burner.

Now think of something you want to achieve and apply these rules and see if you can achieve something new every month. The use of a life coach who will monitor your achievements keep you focused, motivated and on track is invaluable. Imagine what you can achieve with these resources in 12 months.

If you want to try out this resource with a free first session in life coaching please email for further details.