Dan Pink in a recent TED talk refers to taking a Sagmeister. This is an expression taken from the inspirational designers own recent TED talk in which he says that he takes a year of his retirement NOW. Every 7 years he takes a year out.
Returning from a sabbatical in Indonesia back in 2007, Sagmeister realized his work had a new clarity, vision and purpose and that his “job became a calling again.” Sagmeister felt his post-sabbatical work was stronger and edgier; his year out provided the insight, innovation and income for the following seven years. So what is his formula?
- Talk to people who’ve taken sabbaticals about how and why they did it, and what they learned.
- Add five years to your planned working life.
- Intersperse those extra years into your career, taking a year off every seventh year.
Now here is a challenge for a portfolio worker. How many of us would dare or could even afford to take periodical sabbaticals?
