Sabbatical 101

54. Signing off for summer

In this last episode of Sabbatical 101 before I take a break for the summer, I review the most common questions I get about sabbatical planning and reflect on what I've learned over two years as a sabbatical coach. I hope you have a restful summer. I know I'll be slowing down and scaling back. If that sounds appealing to you, but you're not sure how to do it, check out my Summer Reset Workbook [https://bethanywilinski.com/services/summer-reset/]. It's full of prompts and guidance to help you identify what's most important this summer and set realistic goals. Read more about the Top 5 Sabbatical Questions [https://bethanywilinski.com/navigating-the-five-biggest-sabbatical-planning-challenges/] I encounter and my tips for navigating them. If you have a fall sabbatical coming up, now is the time to get in touch. I have just a few spots left in my sabbatical planning program [https://bethanywilinski.com/services/reignite/] for summer. Schedule a free 30-minute call to learn more!

53. The importance of planning a sabbatical with intention and flexibility: The view from Sabbatical #3

In this episode, I talk to Rea Dvakos, an academic librarian at the University of Toronto, about how to intentionally craft a sabbatical that supports personal growth, research breakthroughs, and even retirement planning. Rea’s experience is firsthand evidence that a sabbatical can be more than just a break, but only if you plan it with intention. She shares how her sabbaticals were opportunities to reimagine routines, explore new behaviors, and make space for what truly matters. Rea describes the strategies that have worked for her over three sabbaticals including how to set meaningful personal goals, craft daily routines that match your energy levels, and use sabbaticals as testing grounds for new behaviors or career directions. You'll learn how to reframe setbacks, stay flexible in your plans, and build habits that carry forward long after your time away. If you've ever felt overwhelmed planning your time away or worried about losing momentum, this episode offers practical insights from someone who’s been there multiple times. Feeling overwhelmed or stuck planning your own sabbatical? Learn more about my sabbatical planning program [https://bethanywilinski.com/services/reignite/] and schedule your free consultation [https://bethanywilinski.com/discovery-call/]. Listen to these episodes for more about sabbatical planning:

52. Getting ready to plan your sabbatical: Navigating eligibility and university deadlines

When it comes to planning a sabbatical there are a lot of logistics to be aware of. This information is often not clearly laid out on institutional websites or faculty handbooks. In this episode, I go over six things you should know about before you start to plan your sabbatical. I discuss: eligibility, sabbatical timing, the application process and deadlines, understanding how to fund your sabbatical, and when to start applying for fellowships. I hope this episode will help you understand when you'll be eligible for sabbatical and will help you understand the requirements at your institution. You can learn more about the Summer Reset Workbook here [https://bethanywilinski.com/services/summer-reset/]. And purchase your copy here [https://bethanywilinskicoaching.kit.com/products/summer-reset]. Learn more about funding your sabbatical here [https://bethanywilinski.com/how-to-fund-an-international-sabbatical/].

51. Live coaching: Reframing sabbatical expectations with Kaitlin Clinnin

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Kaitlin Clinnin, Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. We discuss Kaitlin's ambitious sabbatical goals, in the process, reframe her expectations for what productivity will look like during her yearlong sabbatical. Listen in to learn how we approach structuring sabbatical time, balancing productivity with rest, and reframing sabbatical “success” from high-stakes output to foundational learning, fieldwork, and engagement with a new disciplinary area. If you're wondering what counts as "productivity" during a sabbatical or worried that the work you plan to do to read and learn about a new research area or think deeply about your current projects will "count" as a sabbatical output, then I encourage you to listen. I think you'll find Kaitlin's reframing about what "counts" as work during sabbatical very insightful. If you’re wondering how to figure out what to prioritize during your sabbatical, click here [https://bethanywilinskicoaching.kit.com/clarity] to download my free Sabbatical Clarity Toolkit [https://bethanywilinskicoaching.kit.com/clarity]! To learn more about my signature coaching program, Reignite [https://bethanywilinski.com/services/reignite/], check out my website: www.bethanywilinski.com [https://bethanywilinski.com/]. If you'd like to talk more about your sabbatical and learn about how I can help, you can schedule a Free Consultation here [https://bethanywilinski.com/discovery-call/].

50. Why you should plan your summer like a mini-sabbatical

Does this sound familiar? It's the start of summer and you feel like you have nothing but time ahead of you, time to finally get all those things on your to-do list done. Fast forward to August and you feel overwhelmed by how much you still need to get done and vaguely guilty that you didn't get more accomplished. This episode is your invitation to break that cycle. In it, I teach you how to approach the summer like a mini-sabbatical, and how to use the strategies I teach my sabbatical coaching clients and apply them to your summer. Planning a summer with intention [https://bethanywilinski.com/plan-your-summer-like-a-mini-sabbatical/] involves: 1. Identifying your priorities (and being honest with yourself about what really matters) 2. Having fewer goals (only 2-3, max!) 3. And mapping your projects to your calendar to see if your plan is realistic (and then getting rid of projects or making them smaller if not). If you need this summer to be different, you need to listen to this episode. At the end of the episode, I talk about the Summer Reset Workbook, a planning tool that walks you through the steps I describe in the podcast, and much more. It's only $20, and it's your guide to planning a summer with intention, so you can feel great in August. Until April 11, 2026, you can save 25% on the Summer Reset Workbook using this link. [https://bethanywilinskicoaching.kit.com/products/summer-reset?promo=PODCAST] Learn more about the workbook here [https://bethanywilinski.com/services/summer-reset/].