I had been feeling deeply tired for several months.  A visit to my doctor revealed a few health issues (that I am taking care of now) but there was still a lingering sense of being worn out.  After some reflecting and getting curious about what might be wearing me down, I had a revelation.  I was tired of struggling.  More precisely, I was tired of struggling with self doubt.  I realized that I was always doubting something – was I making the right decisions, was I really helping my clients, was the content in my newsletters of value (was anyone even reading them), was I wearing the right outfit….doubt, doubt, doubt – it was my constant companion and I was tired of doing battle with it everyday.  I decided to take a sabbatical.

The definition of a sabbatical is ‘any extended period of leave from one’s customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or to do research.’  What struck me in this definition were the words leave, rest and acquiring new skills.  I decided to take a leave from self doubt, give myself a rest and in the process maybe I would acquire some new skills.  Anytime I noticed doubts popping up (about anything) I would remind myself that I was on sabbatical and then turn my attention to being decisive, confident or to any other quality that the situation required.  My energy returned, and I actually got more done in less time.  You can waste so much time and energy struggling with issues that don’t support you!

Do you need a sabbatical?  Would an extended leave from your customary struggles revive your energy and give you a new perspective on how to proceed?  Most of us can’t take a physical leave from our everyday lives and I know the challenges that some of you are dealing with would never afford you the opportunity to actually take a leave.  Where this technique is so effective is in your thinking.  You CAN take a leave from negative thoughts, berating yourself, doubting yourself, not believing in yourself, worry about the future, worrying about the past, nagging or criticizing yourself…etc, etc, etc!  Consider giving yourself a break – a couple of weeks, a month, 6 months and I guarantee you’ll “return” feeling stronger, more energized and armed with some awesome new skills!