After 15 years at OCBC, my board awarded me a 90-day sabbatical—a chance to explore new ideas, travel, connect opportunities, gather inspiration and information to enhance the creative output. 

In academia, the idea of a sabbatical has been around for years—some say with roots in the Hebrew bible when every seven years a Sabbath, or rest year, was commanded to give the land a break from farming. Studies have found that academics who take sabbaticals report higher levels of satisfaction and lower levels of stress than those who don’t. It’s not a vacation in the lying-on-the-beach-sipping-margaritas sense. But rather an opportunity to refresh your mind, body and spirit. 

Today, a quarter of Fortune’s 100 Best companies to work for offer their staff sabbaticals.  And, as Stephen R. Covey says in his ground-breaking work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,  we must seek continuous improvement and renewal professionally and personally, balancing four areas of life:  physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual.  “We must never become too busy sawing to take time to sharpen the saw.” 

OCBC has a great team of professionals who will run the organization while I’m away, so reach out and offer them support and encouragement!  My adventure begins March 1 and I’ll return to OCBC June 7 with stories to tell, prepared to enhance all that is great about Orange County! 

In the meantime, see you at OCBC’s 2019 Annual Dinner on February 7 at the Hotel Irvine:  “The Art of Business.  The Business of Art!”