In the TED talk “Stefan Sagmeister: The Power of free time,” designer Stefan Sagmeister urges viewers not to work harder but to take breaks to achieve maximum results. Free time is essential on the way to career success. Every seven years, a designer from New York closes his studio for one year to conduct some experiment or something that would be difficult to accomplish during the year. And when he says that the studio is closed, he means precisely that. They are not available to customers, and, according to Sagmeister, “this is a wonderful and energetic time.” Sagmeister believes that a sabbatical can help you get in touch with yourself to understand what you want to do and, even if you know what you want to do, do it better and become happier. To take advantage of free time, you need to follow specific rules: have a plan, inform everyone about your intentions to take a vacation; do not deviate from your goal; learn from the mistakes of others.
Personally, I have never had the opportunity to take a sabbatical since, by vacation, I mean a one-year break. While not everyone can take a year off for a leave, there are ways to take advantage of the vacation. Having a flexible job is one of the best ways to achieve this, as you can customize your schedule to suit your work needs and still have the flexibility throughout the day to think about new projects and plan for the future. This includes work, which is not just a job, but your vocation. However, it seems that even small reboots can have the same positive effect.