The Art of Mini-Retirements For A High-Performance Life
Everything you should know about taking a Sabbatical
“A lot of people forget why they got into work, and they get so caught up in the day-to-day they don’t get a chance to stand back and say: What am I here for?” says Flanagan. “Most people plan their holidays better than they plan their life.” (from Mini-Retirements Are All the Rage, but What Exactly Does It Entail — And Can You Afford to Take One?)
We’ve talked a lot about short-term recovery and how it fits into a high-flow lifestyle and your FlowOS: taking those micro-breaks to restore the energy needed to push into the flow state. But what about the bigger picture—longer periods of rest and reorientation?
That’s where sabbaticals come in. I’ve been fascinated by the concept ever since reading The Four Hour Workweek, where Tim Ferriss popularized “mini-retirements” and lifestyle design. For those of us who pour our ambition into our passions, there comes a time when the pressure demands a release valve. You may find yourself needing more than just a weekend reset. A longer pause can help you check in with what truly matters, whether you’re juggling multiple fascinations or spending decades laser-focused on a single pursuit.
That’s when your soul may start calling out for a sabbatical.
What’s the Purpose of a Sabbatical?
A sabbatical is an extended break from work—more than a simple vacation. While traditional employees often have limited time off, sabbaticals intentionally push beyond the standard couple of weeks to allow for deeper rest, personal development, or exploration of new interests.
For the self-employed, the concept of a sabbatical can feel even more elusive. After all, you can technically take time off whenever you want, but how often do you actually disconnect completely? Sabbaticals are about fundamentally changing the rhythm of your days so you can reset your priorities, recharge your energy, and re-examine your life’s direction.
Why Sabbaticals Are an Important Part of Finding Flow
We know that short breaks can help us recover quickly, but sometimes the struggle phase of the flow cycle is so entrenched that small pauses aren’t enough.
Consider Michael Jordan’s first retirement in 1993—at the peak of his career, after three consecutive NBA championships, he stepped away to play baseball. The tragic murder of his father and the immense pressure he faced as the most iconic athlete in the world left him emotionally spent. He needed more than a long weekend off; he needed a genuine sabbatical to heal, explore another part of himself, and return (if he chose to) on his own terms.
Sometimes we know these breaks will end, and sometimes we don’t. A sabbatical can reveal entirely new callings or paths. For MJ, the time away from basketball wasn’t just about rest; it was about honoring his father’s memory, rediscovering his passion, and processing complex emotions outside the relentless grind of professional basketball.
Common Types of Sabbaticals
Career Sabbaticals for Professional Development
These aren’t just for rest; they can be strategic. You might step away to learn new skills, pursue certifications, or refocus your career trajectory. A career sabbatical can open doors that a standard two-week vacation simply can’t.
Personal Sabbaticals for Travel and Family Time
Tim Ferriss’s concept of “mini-retirements” invites you to enjoy life’s adventures before traditional retirement. Why wait until you’re in your 60s or 70s to savor slow travel or try something bold like backpacking across Europe when you'd be limited by age? Likewise, Bill Perkins in Die With Zero emphasizes matching your life stage in Time Buckets to the experiences you want most, recognizing that opportunities come and go with age, health, and obligations.
Starting a family can also spark a personal sabbatical: taking extended leave to spend time with a newborn is priceless and fleeting, offering memories and bonding that no amount of money can replicate later.
Academic Sabbaticals for Research or Writing
Cal Newport often talks about these kinds of sabbaticals in his Deep Thoughts podcast. In academia, sabbaticals are often built into the system. Tenured professors, for example, are encouraged—even required—to take extended breaks to deepen their research, write books, or explore new areas of scholarship. It’s a structured form of renewal that fuels innovation and intellectual growth.
Mini-Sabbaticals
If a full sabbatical feels intimidating, consider a shorter one. A month or two can be enough to recalibrate if you’re facing burnout. This could align with parental leave or a transitional period in your life. Even a “lite” version of a sabbatical can yield significant insights and relief.
My Personal Experience
When I quit my corporate job in 2017, I had no immediate plan. It was time for a complete life overhaul. I moved back home, cleared my schedule, and gave myself space to reflect. During this pause—a mini-sabbatical of sorts—I envisioned a product: a training manual and guide based on my strongman competition experience.
For weeks, I wrote daily with noise-cancelling headphones on, listening to the same track to stay in flow. Fifty days later, I had a 300-page book plus training plans and spreadsheets ready for aspiring strongman competitors. This focused period, free from distractions, was one of the most creatively productive stretches of my life. That’s the power of a sabbatical: it can clear the mental clutter and sharpen your focus like nothing else.
Key Benefits of Sabbaticals
Sabbaticals break the cycle of routine and open space for genuine introspection. They’re often sought during mid-life or career transitions, moments when the gap between your current reality and your core values becomes impossible to ignore. Stepping away from work can bring profound clarity.
Prevents Burnout: A complete reset of mental and physical energy, providing deep recovery from accumulated stress.
Offers Perspective: Dedicated time to evaluate career and life goals, ensuring your path aligns with what truly matters to you.
Encourages Skill Development: Focused time to learn new abilities or deepen existing competencies without the usual daily demands.
Improves Mental Health and Work-Life Balance: Space to strengthen personal relationships, establish healthier routines, and create sustainable approaches to future work.
Planning Tips for Taking a Sabbatical
Sabbaticals outside academia aren’t always formally structured. If you’re considering one, think ahead.
Start Financial Planning Early
Determine your savings goals and ensure you won’t need to dip into emergency funds. Plan for travel costs, living expenses, and any personal development investments.
Set Clear Objectives
Retirement, even temporarily, can feel disorienting. Without meaning and purpose, humans tend to flounder. Know what you want from your sabbatical—travel, skill-building, family time, personal projects. High-quality leisure beats mindlessly binge-watching TV or scrolling social media.
Talk to Your Employer Early
If your workplace doesn’t have a sabbatical policy, give them time to prepare. Explain your intentions and work together to find a suitable timeline that minimizes disruptions.
Choose the Right Timing
Try to align your absence with slower periods at work or after major projects are completed. This considerate planning helps maintain goodwill and makes reintegration smoother.
Reintegration After Your Sabbatical
Coming back can feel like a shock to the system. Expect changes: new policies, new colleagues, shifting technologies. Don’t be surprised if you need time to reacclimate. You have changed and so has the world around you.
Remember, the flow state operates in cycles. After a prolonged rest, you may face a struggle phase before hitting your stride again. But now, you’ll have the fresh perspective and renewed energy that only a sabbatical can provide.
In the end, a sabbatical is a deliberate pause—a chance to realign with your values, rediscover your passions, and return to the world more whole than when you left it.
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Nice post RJ! It's weird how you speak about both Tim Ferris' book and Die With Zero, they're two books on my Kindle right now haha. Sometimes I move too fast, so this was an important reminder for me to slow down.