Why I took an extended time away from work & what it taught me (Spoiler: I highly recommend!)

In May 2024, I walked away from a promising career—no job lined up, no guarantee of what was next. To some, it seemed reckless. To me, it was a lifeline. This sabbatical wasn’t just a break; it was a chance to reset and rediscover what truly mattered.

The Decision to Take a Sabbatical
Throughout university and my career, I always focused on conventional goals: landing the internship, securing the full-time role, earning the next promotion, upgrading my living situation, travelling, or acquiring the next material possession. I took almost no time off between high school and university, constantly stacking extracurriculars to prepare for the unknown future. But eventually, this relentless pursuit stopped feeling fulfilling – it no longer worked for me.

Although I was grateful for my rapid career growth and early ”achievements”, I found myself unmotivated, stuck and dreading most days at the office. Vacations provided only fleeting relief from a deeper, worsening issue.

Inspired by examples from my network, like Lon and Ellen, I began planning a sabbatical – an extended break to travel with my wife, live in new cities, and explore new interests in an attempt to find a purpose outside of work. After careful preparation and the completion of RBC’s acquisition of HSBC Canada, I left my role in May, packed our belongings into storage, and embarked on our adventure.

Sabbatical Highlight Reel:

• Witnessed a historic Oilers Stanley Cup Playoff run with friends.
• Downsized our 3-bedroom house into a 10×10 storage locker through countless FB Marketplace sales and donations.
• Explored the canals of Copenhagen and relaxed at the CopenHot Nordic Spa.
• Celebrated our France wedding with family and friends who couldn’t attend our original wedding in Mexico.
• Spent peaceful days reading on the sandy beaches of La Baule.
• Enjoyed an unforgettable week-long safari in Tanzania for our honeymoon.
• Recharged in Zanzibar at the Tulum-inspired Be Zanzibar Resort.
• Hitchhiked a plane from Arusha to Kilimanjaro to start our journey back to Canada (a story for another day!).
• Sipped the best coffee of my life at The Coffee during a 24-hour layover in Paris.
• Lived in Vancouver for three months to immerse ourselves in the West Coast lifestyle.
• Fell in love with running and walking everywhere, embracing a slower pace of life.
• Spent hours in Yaletown coffee shops devouring books.
• Discovered a passion for photography and dabbled in computer networking projects (shoutout to r/selfhosted!).
• Explored more of the West Coast with memorable trips to Seattle, Whistler, Tofino, and Squamish.
• Braved enemy territory to watch the Oilers play—an experience I wouldn’t recommend.
• Retrieved our belongings from storage and made a fresh start in Calgary to try another new city.
• Rounded out the year with Christmas holidays surrounded by friends and family.

Lessons Learned
As my sabbatical journey comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible experiences I’ve been fortunate to have and the invaluable lessons I’ve learned by stepping away from work for an extended period.

At the outset, I had many reservations – taking a planned break in the midst of my career seemed like a radical move. Self-doubt crept in, echoed by concerns from peers and family- “How would I afford to take time off? What about my monthly contributions to my retirement? Maybe I just needed to read another self-help book and deploy a new strategy to “hack it”. I can always do these things when I retire – just be patient.” The list goes on. Despite the pressures, I knew this was what I needed and trusted myself to figure out the rest as I went.

I had to confront my addiction to productivity and daily to-do lists, learning to slow down and sit with the noise in my mind. I had to reevaluate the long-held labels and narratives I’d placed on myself to expand my perspective on what I’m truly interested in and capable of. For example, growing up, I saw myself as ‘not artistic’ – a narrative reinforced by my failed attempts at drawing and pottery. During my sabbatical, I challenged this label. While I confirmed that painting and pottery isn’t my forte, I discovered a love for photography. It became a way to connect with nature and find beauty in everyday life. This newfound passion sparked my curiosity to explore other areas of interest, all while helping me recharge and reconnect with myself.

In some of my reading, I stumbled across the concept of Mimetic Desire as a new lens to observe human behavior. The theory suggests that we unconsciously model our wants and desires after those of others, often without realizing it, because we lack inherent mechanisms to define what we truly want. Rarely do we pause to examine where these desires originate or whether they align with our broader goals – goals that, for many, centre on living a meaningful life. From the outside, it looked like I had achieved an enviable position early in my career. But beneath the surface, I felt drained, lost and deeply unfulfilled. During my time off, I had to confront a difficult question: were my goals truly my own, or were they shaped by what others seemed to value?

In 2025, I am excited to embrace a more sustainable work-life approach. Goals remain a valuable tool, and I’ve set many this year – both personally and professionally. However, their scope and focus have shifted dramatically from the past. My hope is that these goals better align with my newly defined priorities and guiding principles. Will they work? I’m not sure, but I am eager to find out.

I encourage you to take a moment and reflect: What are you modeling your desires after? What’s truly driving the goals you’ve set for 2025 and beyond? There’s nothing wrong with following a conventional path. But if your current pursuit feels unfulfilling, how might you explore new alternatives or embark on an unexpected journey to reset?

If you’re curious to learn more about sabbaticals, I recommend checking out Matt Mullenweg’s five-minute talk on why his company, Automattic, has made sabbaticals a company-wide benefit, encouraging all employees to take them. You can also read inspiring stories from employees who’ve embraced the opportunity and learn more about their sabbatical policy.

I’d love to connect and share more about my sabbatical experience, including tips on planning a longer break from work if it’s something you’re considering. Send me an email at blog@encarno.com.

Matt