When Sabbatical Plans Go Sideways (And How to Recover)

If you’re planning a sabbatical, chances are you’ve already learned it’s not as straightforward as it sounds. You might write a proposal a year in advance, map out ambitious projects, and imagine a productive, fulfilling break from your usual routine.

Then real life shows up.

During my first sabbatical, both of my parents needed life-saving surgeries, just days apart. Suddenly, my carefully crafted plans were off the rails. Days I’d imagined spending traveling and writing – I’d dreamed of a self-led writing retreat in Croatia, with infinite swims in the Adriatic – were instead spent navigating hospital hallways.

All told, my sabbatical was interrupted for about a month and a half to help my parents. I was glad to be there for them, of course, but it undeniably impacted the overall sabbatical experience I’d envisioned.

I know I’m not alone. Many of us face unexpected challenges during our sabbaticals – illnesses, budgets creeping up higher than we anticipated, childcare needs shifting – the list goes on. Even the best laid sabbatical plans often collide with the messiness of real life.

Honestly, the more I live, the more I think it’s inevitable. Plans are just that – plans.

For academics on sabbatical, writing a sabbatical proposal a year ahead means setting goals based on best guesses. Projects evolve, priorities shift, and sometimes life’s curveballs demand more from us than our scholarship does. And for non-academics on sabbatical, the time away can be so open that the plans we came up with can feel stale by a month in.

When sabbatical plans go sideways, it can feel frustrating. Maybe even like failure, or like you’re not doing sabbatical right.

When my sabbatical shifted to be with my parents for a period, I worried about what my post-sabbatical report – mandatory for most academics taking sabbatical – would look like, and whether my department would see my semester away as “wasted.” The reality? I finished my sabbatical with multiple published articles. Objectively, my time away was productive. But to me – my harshest critic – it still felt like I had fallen a bit short.

I was disappointed I hadn’t finished more work. I felt guilty for not spending more time with my parents after surgery. I felt let down for not making it to Croatia, the place I’d envisioned as a perfect sabbatical retreat.

Looking back, it’s clear: I’d dreamed of a do-it-all sabbatical. The kind you hear about and think, “I want that.”  The kind where you dream up big ideas, and then experience them all perfectly, seemlessly.

But what I’ve learned is that sabbaticals are rarely perfect. They’re deeply personal, and often take twists and turn. They’re about progress over perfection. Those twists and turns are necessary.

The goal isn’t to rigidly stick to your original sabbatical plan, but to make meaningful strides while balancing the realities of life.

So how do you recover when sabbatical plans shift?

While every situation is unique, these strategies can help you stay grounded and keep moving forward:

• Stay flexible. Adapt your goals as circumstances change. Sometimes that means swapping an ambitious trip for a smaller, more manageable one.
• Communicate. Keep your people (colleagues, mentors, family, friends, etc.) in the loop. They may have suggestions, connect you with resources, or help you adjust expectations.
• Prioritize. Ask yourself: “What’s most important right now?” Follow that answer, and then figure out what comes after.
• Practice self care. A sabbatical is meant to sustain you. If your plans are off schedule, or they feel misaligned, pushing yourself might do more harm than good.

A “sideways” sabbatical isn’t a failed sabbatical. The skills you gain along the way – resilience, creative problem-solving, adaptability – will serve you long after your sabbatical ends.

Oh, and for what it’s worth – I made it to Croatia the following summer, and the Adriatic was everything I’d dreamed of. That’s the beauty of sabbatical planning – it gives us space to create a roadmap for the year ahead. And sometimes, a reminder that detours can still lead to incredible places.