#54 Big Time Off: Power of Sabbaticals Planned or Not | DJ DiDonna

DJ DiDonna defines a sabbatical as "intentional extended leave from your job." DJ is a Harvard Business School senior lecturer and the author of _Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One_, out now. Planning one, on leave, heading back, leaving to build something new, or facing a re-org you didn't ask for? Monique and DJ talk about sabbatical vs. vacation, regret insurance, and what to do if time off finds you first. Ideas to try Journal before, during, and after your time away. Spend 30 to 60 minutes alone, no phone, no music, writing what your life wouldn't feel complete without. Then ask: am I making time for this? Picture yourself five to ten years from now. What would you regret not doing? What story do you want to tell your grandkids? Find someone who has taken extended leave. Timestamps (00:00) - Welcome and DJ's background (02:24) - What is a sabbatical, and how is it different from a vacation? (03:53) - What does DJ want to debunk about sabbaticals? (06:04) - Why is a sabbatical "regret insurance"? (09:54) - What are the common catalysts that lead people to step away? (11:27) - When time off is forced on you, how do you reframe it? (14:40) - Monique's 12 weeks off: was that a sabbatical? (18:02) - DJ's answer: functional workaholism and the power of exemplars (21:25) - Why do people resist time off for themselves, even when sabbaticals are normalized? (24:09) - Can you work on a sabbatical, and what counts as work? (27:28) - What if you're driven and need to go now? Do you still need time off? (32:13) - Type A and the gift of time: getting out of your head and into your body (37:41) - Quiet reflection or community: what did the research find? (39:23) - What has evolved in DJ's thinking since writing the book? (44:50) - What first steps can people try? Links Get the book, _Big Time Off_: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668060892 DJ DiDonna: https://www.djdidonna.com/ The Sabbatical Project: https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/ Ask Monique: https://forms.gle/iGZv2bVnhBSXbnbc8 Connect with Monique on LinkedIn:   / moniqueschafer   The Great Life Experiment: https://greatlifeexperiment.com/ There's no one right way. Let's experiment together.