Pit Stop

We all feel tired being in the grind, and sometimes appreciations, more money, promotions, and rewards fail to motivate us any further. So, what do you do? Should you continue to work and take yourself down the path of burn out?

Sometimes work does feel like being in a war zone; colleagues and managers constantly test your psychological limits. Unfortunately, many of us unable to step off this treadmill to catch a breath and reflect before we resume, thanks to financial commitments and other social entanglements.

A few days ago, a popular Carnatic musician (http://www.dailyo.in/arts/tm-krishna-carnatic-music-chennai-music-season-a-southern-music-nri/story/1/4306.html) announced that he will not perform during the December music circus (he has performed for the last 20 years). He realized the need to pause, reflect, and reset rather than sing and dance to others tunes. Though many of us may think this is a publicity stunt, but how many of us can really take such a bold decision, stand by it and not be afraid of missing the spotlight and opportunities?

We operate in a system where everyone wants to maximize profit and treat each other like a commodity: very capitalistic. Concert organizers want to position popular singers and make money from organizing their performances in exchange for a paltry sum. Managers want you to make them successful and organizations exploit your skills, and stretch limits by dangling small carrots. 

I started school at the age of 2 much earlier than most children and have been jumping from one treadmill onto another in the name of education for 24 years, career for 16 years and trying to construct my social standing and image. Thanks to our Indian system! But somewhere I started to think and I got off the marriage treadmill and today I want to take a break from the system that tries profit from my success. 

The management education taught me to sketch fish-bone diagrams and construct decision trees to seek solutions. And the last 6 months, I have been both a fishitarian and arboreal being, living off fish-bone diagrams and living on decision trees. After a long contemplation, I announced my decision at work this week to take a 6-month sabbatical starting this August. Enviable?

Ahead of my 40th birthday, I foresee sabbatical giving me an opportunity to pause, reflect and ruminate and plan my next 20 years of pre-retirement life. It will also teach me new skills: frugality, financial discipline amongst many others. My sabbatical also gives management an opportunity to bring someone else to run the show and realize that I am no longer needed for their success. The secret of success is about sustenance; your must sustain your happiness and management must sustain their profits.

Such decisions to step off the treadmill both temporarily or permanently may look like challenging the establishment, but to get to this point needs a lot of courage, conviction and confidence. If the sabbatical doesn't come through, I will take the resignation route for the second time in 6 months leaving the management very little room to manipulate my decision or come up with a counter-offer and shovel false promises like politicians seeking to come to power.

We all get to live life once, so let's live on our terms without any regret or causing grief to others including Mother Nature. If you are caught in a similar situation like me or the musician, a sabbatical may be a good pit stop. A pit stop refreshes your mind, refuels your soul, and helps you redefine your ambition.