I’ve got a buddy that lives in Phoenix. He works for a large company that has a practice that I find pretty interesting. This companies reseach shows that after 8 years, most employees find themselves in a rut. Either they are burned out or trying to start a business on the side, etc. So every 8 years, they give their employees an 8 week sabbatical. Paid leave to be away from work, do what they want to do, get their mind right kind of deal. Sure, some employees may use that time to find a different job or start their own business, but they are giving their people a chance to come back refreshed and/or giving an unhappy employee a chance to leave.

My friend is on his second sabbatical with this company. He has taken vacations with his wife, done some other side business deals, spent time with his kids and just chilled out. He called one day on his way to a southern Arizona winery. He is flying in for an OSU football game. Basically, he just gets caught up on stuff he wants to do and gets in a good mood.

I took one of these sabbaticals at the end of my teaching career. I took care of all of my livestock-in the daylight. Actually was a Dad. Ate cocoa puffs, went to church and basically got myself into a good mood. It was the best eight weeks of my life.

We are all guilty of being too engrossed in our jobs. Our livelihoods depend on it. Then when we schedule a vacation, it becomes a stressful ordeal because of travel, iteneraries, etc. Everybody needs to find a way to take a small sabbatical and just take care of those little things at home that are actually important and just get your mind right.

I have gotten pretty good at having very small sabbaticals. Sometimes, its just good to sit on the edge of a canyon and watch the goats or an armadillo or the sun. Maybe shoot a couple of cans or just hit rocks. And some wonder why I don’t answer the phone or reply to a text. And if I am home by myself, with no place that I have to be, I still eat a big pan of cocoa puffs. Of course, this only happens three or four times a year now.