Before when I was working, I would sometimes daydream about what life would be like without a full time job. After all, I was probably spending 50-70 hours there for the last decade. Would it feel like a forever vacation? Would I lose weight and be super fit? Would I be exactly who I was meant to be with all this extra time? Would I be the best version of myself?
It’s been almost a year and the reality is lot more mundane. Back in April, I wrote in my journal about “what I hope I will say” about my sabbatical year. And here are a few things I wrote: rest, be present, create core memories, exercise, learn something wildly impossible with a full time job.
So I started our Taiwan year with goals in the “Important, Not urgent” quadrant: my health and relationships.
Stephen Covey’s Time Mgmt Matrix, which after some googling is said to come first from Eisenhower
The biggest shifts since I left working:
- Sleep
- Consuming content: books/TV/podcasts
- Exercise
- Household chores: soooo many household chores (Boy do I miss our nanny!)
And, of course I made a chart. :)
Even Apple is telling me I’m doing much better with sleep! It was a very low bar, but getting healthier.
While I had hoped to get back to my pre-pregnancy Tori weight AND have my eczema in tip top shape, progress is slow. So I'll keep at it. There hasn't been a dramatic change to my life, but I will say that living more slowly -- hanging out with my parents as an adult, spending more time with the kids (higher highs and lower lows with this one) -- has truly been a gift.
For those who are still dreaming of taking a gap year (or summer/month), I see you and hope you find a way to make it happen.
