Watch for our book, Reboot Your Life!

Our book, Reboot Your Life, is the official guide to taking a sabbatical, written by four women who have been there. We are all senior executives in our fields, and we have all taken lifesaving sabbaticals that advanced our lives and careers. We offer a refreshing view on the “New Sabbatical,” a period of time off from work that can come in any length and with a range of purposes but which allows the taker to reflect on his or her life and make the changes needed to “reboot” before embarking on the next phase.

Today more than ever, people need to refresh and renew. Because of the current economic times, many people are forced to take time off — what we refer to as a forced sabbatical. Regardless of why you take a sabbatical, it can be a time to think about what you have been doing and how to work and live differently. Many Baby Boomers are rethinking retirement and need the time to prepare for their next life phase. Many people of all ages want to change careers and need time to figure out their direction. But, even in better economic times, most people think they can’t take a sabbatical, either because they can’t afford it or their employers won’t let them, or because they’re afraid it will hurt their career or people will think they are lazy or self-indulgent. The book addresses all of these concerns.

Reboot Your Life uses real-life stories drawn from more than 100 interviews with men and women, some working, some not, to show you how to overcome the obstacles and make your sabbatical dreams come true. Reboot Your Life will familiarize you with the different types of sabbaticals and take you through the sabbatical process. We cover everything from giving yourself “permission” to take time off, to how to ask for time off, to planning and creative financing ideas, to what to expect when you are on sabbatical, to re-entering the workforce and heeding sabbatical lessons throughout your life.

Chapters cover the following topics and more:

1. Getting your boss to say yes to a sabbatical/time off
2. Creative ways to fund your freedom
3. Different kinds of sabbatical breaks. Which one is right for you?
4. Making the most of your time off once you get it, including avoiding people and situations that can sabotage your rebooting break
5. What to expect during the four phases of a sabbatical break
6. Living the lifelong sabbatical, incorporating the lessons from your sabbatical break into the rest of your life going forward

Other chapters include a section for family members on how to adjust when a loved one is taking time off, as well as information gleaned from over 50 interviews with top companies all over the world that understand the value of offering sabbaticals and breaks to their employees.