I bought this a long time ago before I was laid off from my full time corporate job when I was burned out and looking for alternatives. Be careful what you wish for! It's touted as "the sabbatical book" with advice on how to get, plan, enjoy and return from a sabbatical. I skimmed it again recently to see what advice might be applicable to my future retirement.
One suggestion that I took away was to look to do something that would have future value. They recommend this for returning to work and I took it as thinking about doing something in retirement that would give back - to family, friends, my community. And, of course, would have future value for the future me! Taking care of my health more aggressively, doing meaningful things, not time killers. Because of health issues in my past, I don't want to waste time watching TV or surfing the web, though I'm guilty on both accounts.
Another idea I liked was when they talked of traveling with your spouse or others. They suggested taking turns traveling in each other's "style" so each person gets a chance to do things their way. Freeways vs. backroads, hotels vs. campgrounds, fast food vs. restaurants are just a few examples.
Though some places may no longer be operating, there were several learning communities listed that looked interesting (Cummington Community of the Arts, MA; Cottages at Hedgebrook, WA; Foundation for Field Research, CA; Insight Meditation Society, MA; Desert House of Prayer, Cortaro, AZ [in my backyard!]; Ferry Beach Unitarian Camp, ME; Wrangell Mountains Wildlands, CA). I enjoy the immersion in an experience with others (like my Grand Canyon river trip).
There was a whole chapter on negotiating that could be applied to any negotiation:
1) ask for everything
2) give up lowest priorities first
3) be a problem solver
4) don't sacrifice too much too soon
5) give yourself time to think
6) and negotiate to keep negotiating...all points I'd learned somewhere but worth repeating.
The author, Hope, went on to work on the WebMD website and now works on Mother Nature Network.
Guess those sabbaticals work!
Published: 1996 Read: May 2013 (again) Genre: Non-fiction, self-help
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