Taking a sabbatical can be one of the most transformative experiences in your career, but it requires careful planning and financial preparation. After successfully implementing my own self-funded sabbatical (which is currently ongoing!), I want to share the practical steps that helped me turn this dream into reality.
This comprehensive guide is split into two parts. In this first post, I’ll walk you through the foundational planning steps: defining your goals, creating a timeline, and building your financial strategy. In Part 2, I’ll cover the practical considerations, transition challenges, and real-world tips for making your sabbatical successful.
What is a Career Sabbatical?
A career sabbatical is an extended break from work, typically lasting several months to a year or more. Unlike vacation time, sabbaticals are designed for personal growth, recovery, skill development, or pursuing meaningful projects. Some companies offer paid sabbatical programs, while others may provide unpaid leave. However, many people, like myself, choose to self-finance their sabbatical for complete freedom and flexibility.
I realize “sabbatical” is a term mostly used in the academic world, and some people object to using it outside that context. Some call it mini-retirements, others call it glorified unemployment. Personally, I think you can call it whatever feels right for you. I call it a sabbatical because I had specific projects in mind that I wanted to accomplish during this period.
Well, you shouldn’t trust anything blindly! But I believe I have some credibility considering this is my third sabbatical (2014, 2019, 2025), so I do have experience with this process. Each sabbatical has been extremely meaningful, and the lessons, experiences, and learnings from each one will carry with me for life. However, I’ve also learned many lessons the hard way, and I’m glad to share them with you.
Here’s what my sabbaticals have looked like:
- 2013-2014: One year in Cambodia working for an NGO while applying to graduate programs
- 2019: Several months in Peru improving my Spanish and unexpectedly discovering the Japanese Peruvian community
- 2025: Current sabbatical focused on burnout recovery and creative projects
Common Sabbatical Questions Answered
Before diving into planning, let me address the most frequent questions I receive about taking a sabbatical. These are probably the same questions you’re asking yourself:
Q. Are you using your company’s sabbatical program?
A. While organizations like the UN offer sabbatical leave programs, these often come with strict requirements and predetermined plans. I wanted the freedom to design my sabbatical on my own terms without institutional constraints. I also wanted to intentionally take a break from the UN so I could gain fresh perspectives and outlooks.
Q. Are you receiving unemployment benefits?
A. No. As a UN employee, I was not eligible for Switzerland’s unemployment insurance system, which typically provides 70% of salary for up to 18 months to private sector workers. International organizations often have their own pension systems but lack unemployment coverage. I am 100% self-financed.
Q. Is your family supporting you financially?
A. I’m completely self-financing this sabbatical using my personal savings. My husband is also in career transition, so actually I am the one covering most of our household expenses, even while not getting paid! Since my father is undergoing extensive health treatment, I am not depending on my family for any kind of financial support either.
Q. Do you have side income or investments?
A. While I do earn some income from investments and dividends (thanks to my investment portfolio), I reinvest 100% of these returns rather than using them to fund my sabbatical.
Everyone’s situation is different, so I’m not here to judge how you finance yourself or approach your sabbatical. If you have a spouse who can fully support you financially during this period, go for it! If your country offers financial safety nets, use them! I just wanted to clarify my situation since many people have asked.
With these questions out of the way, let’s start building your path to sabbatical.
Your Sabbatical Planning Path
Step 1: Define Your Sabbatical Goals
The foundation of successful sabbatical planning is having clarity about your objectives. Vague goals like “I need a break” won’t provide the direction necessary for effective planning. Instead, get specific about what you want to achieve. You don’t need a 100% strategic planning chart, but at least have general goals for what you want to accomplish.
A helpful question I asked myself was: “After this sabbatical period is over, what is the one thing (or list up to three things) I want to be proud that I achieved?”
Consider these goal categories:
- Recovery and wellness: Healing from burnout, improving mental health, or addressing health issues
- Relationships: Spending quality time with family, reconnecting with friends, or caring for loved ones
- Skills and education: Learning new capabilities, earning certifications, or pursuing formal education
- Exploration: Traveling, experiencing different cultures, or trying new activities
- Career transition: Exploring new industries, starting a business, or changing career paths
- Personal projects: Writing a book, volunteering for causes you care about, or pursuing creative endeavors
For my current sabbatical, I focused on three main goals:
- Recovering from burnout
- Spending meaningful time with people I care about, and
- Diving deeper into my creative side
I intentionally made these broad so I could remain flexible as opportunities arose.
The beauty of unexpected discoveries: During my 2019 sabbatical in Peru, my main objective was attending school to improve my Spanish. What I didn’t expect was meeting and learning about the Japanese Peruvian community there, including conversations with community leaders about the history and experiences of the Japanese diaspora. These unexpected discoveries often become the most valuable parts of sabbatical experiences, which is why having some flexibility in your goals is important.
Step 2: Determine Your Sabbatical Duration
Once you’ve clarified your goals, establish a realistic timeframe. This decision will directly impact your financial planning and career considerations.
Factors to consider when setting duration:
- How long will your goals realistically take to achieve?
- What’s your financial runway?
- How long can you be away from your career without negative impacts?
- Are there natural timing considerations (academic calendars, project cycles, family situations)?
For my first sabbatical in 2013-2014, it was exactly one year. My goal was to gain experience in the development sector while applying to Masters programs. This timeframe allowed enough time to work at a grassroots NGO for tangible experience, study for my GMATs, apply to schools, and prepare for the transition into graduate school. The fixed timeline worked because I had concrete deadlines to meet.
For my current sabbatical, I initially planned for six months minimum, knowing I needed time to recover from burnout and work on creative projects, which was harder to assess time-wise. Therefore, I built in buffer time, which meant saving more financially but gave me the psychological freedom to truly recover without time pressure.
My advice: Start with a minimum timeframe based on your main goals, then add buffer time if your finances allow. It’s better to return to work early feeling accomplished than to feel rushed or incomplete because you underestimated the time needed.
Step 3: Calculate Your Sabbatical Budget
Understanding your spending patterns is crucial for accurate sabbatical planning. This is often the most eye-opening part of the process! Track your expenses for at least six months, ideally a full year, to account for seasonal variations.I recommend dividing expenses into three buckets:
1. Obligatory expenses are non-negotiable costs you must pay to avoid legal consequences or losing essential services:
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Utilities (electricity, water, gas)
- Insurance premiums (health, liability, property)
- Taxes and government fees
- Minimum debt payments
Essential expenses are necessary for daily life but offer some flexibility:
- Groceries and basic food costs
- Transportation (public transit, car maintenance, fuel)
- Communication (internet, mobile phone)
- Basic clothing and household items
Discretionary expenses enhance your quality of life but aren’t strictly necessary:
- Dining out and entertainment
- Gym memberships and subscriptions
- Travel and vacations
- Hobbies and recreational activities
- Premium services and upgrades
Optimize Your Sabbatical Spending
This is where the magic happens! Review each category to identify potential cost reductions during your sabbatical:
- Can you move to a smaller or cheaper living space?
- Would staying with family temporarily be an option?
- Can you rely more on public transportation?
- Which subscriptions and memberships can you pause or cancel?
- How much can you reduce discretionary spending without sacrificing well-being?
Real example from my experience: For my first sabbatical, I moved out of my expensive Tokyo apartment and lived in Cambodia where my monthly expenses dropped to about $1,500 compared to $4,000+ in Tokyo. This single decision extended my sabbatical runway significantly.
This analysis will give you your baseline monthly sabbatical expenses – the foundation for all your financial planning.
Step 4: Build Your Financial Cushion
Here’s the reality check: plans never go as expected. Unexpected costs always arise during extended breaks from work, and having a buffer prevents financial stress from undermining your sabbatical goals.
Calculate your total sabbatical fund:
- Baseline monthly expenses × planned duration
- Add specific sabbatical activities (travel, courses/classes, events)
- Add 30% cushion for unexpected expenses
- If changing jobs, add 3-6 months of expenses for job searching (research typical job search timelines in your country and sector)
Research what financial options you have:
- Are you entitled to any unemployment benefits?
- If taking classes or courses, are scholarships available?
- If doing projects, are there incubator programs or foundations that could provide funding?
- Would you have any side income during your sabbatical to help finance your time?
My calculation example:
Six months of baseline expenses, plus 30% buffer, plus planned travel to the US and Europe, plus at least six months for job hunting since I wasn’t returning to my previous role. Geneva has a very competitive job market, and as a UN employee, I wasn’t eligible for Swiss unemployment benefits. This totaled 15-17 months of expenses – which might sound like a lot, but gave me complete peace of mind.
Consider potential financial support
Could your spouse or family members financially support you, even partially, during your sabbatical? If so, it’s crucial to sit down and discuss the exact terms and conditions beforehand. Otherwise, this could result in arguments, disagreements, and resentment later.
Success story: For my first sabbatical, I discussed with my parents whether I could store my belongings at their San Francisco home and stay there during the summer before grad school while working a short-term job. Having a place to stay for a few months helped immensely, especially in expensive San Francisco.
Talk with your employer about your sabbatical
Don’t assume you have to quit! If possible, discuss your sabbatical plans with your boss and HR. Even if you plan to leave, this can sometimes provide leverage for negotiation, especially considering the high costs of finding a replacement. If you plan to return, many organizations offer sabbatical programs or unpaid leave options.
Step 5: Create Your Savings Strategy
With your target amount identified, develop a realistic savings plan. This is often the longest phase of sabbatical preparation, and where many people get discouraged. Don’t! Remember that every month of saving brings you closer to your goal.
Accelerate your savings through:
Increasing income
- Ask for raises or promotions
- Take on freelance work in your spare time
- Develop side businesses or consulting
- Sell items you no longer need
Reducing current expenses
- Apply the cost-cutting strategies you identified in Step 3
- Cancel unnecessary subscriptions
- Cook at home more often
- Find cheaper alternatives for regular expenses
Optimizing your savings
- Use high-yield savings accounts
- Consider appropriate investment strategies for your timeline
- Take advantage of any employer matching programs while you can
Automate the process
- Set up automatic transfers to dedicated sabbatical savings
- Treat your sabbatical savings like a non-negotiable bill
- Use apps or tools to track your progress toward your goal
Reality check: It took me approximately four years to save enough for my current sabbatical. This timeline will vary significantly based on your income, expenses, current savings, and target amount. Some people save faster, others take longer. The key is consistency and not getting discouraged by the timeline.
Motivation tip: Calculate how much closer each month’s savings brings you to your sabbatical. For example, if you need $30,000 and save $1,000 per month, each month of saving brings you one month closer to a potential 30-month sabbatical!
What's Next?
Congratulations! If you’ve worked through these five steps, you’ve completed the foundational planning for your sabbatical. You should now have:
- Clear, specific goals for your sabbatical
- A realistic timeline with buffer time
- A detailed budget and target savings amount
- A concrete savings strategy and timeline
In Part 2 of this guide, I’ll cover the practical considerations that many sabbatical guides overlook:
- Healthcare coverage and administrative logistics
- Maintaining professional relationships during your break
- The surprising psychological challenges of transitioning into sabbatical life
- How to handle social pressure and judgment
- Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Whether a sabbatical is actually right for your situation
The planning phase requires patience and discipline, but it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible. Start with Step 1 today – even if your sabbatical is years away, clarifying your goals will help motivate your savings and planning efforts.
Ready to start planning your sabbatical? Begin tracking your expenses this week and spend some time reflecting on what you really want to achieve during your time away from traditional work.
Are you in the early stages of sabbatical planning? I’d love to hear about your goals and biggest questions in the comments below. For more insights on career transitions and sustainable living, subscribe to my newsletter and follow my ongoing sabbatical journey.
Coming up in Part 2: The practical guide to making your sabbatical actually happen, including the challenges no one talks about and how to set yourself up for success.