Sabbatical 101

Bethany Wilinski Coaching

Insight and inspiration for planning your academic sabbatical

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54 episodes
Updated May 13

Episodes54

Newest first

Nov 13, 2024 · 18 min
14. Sabbatical planning starts with identifying your sabbatical purpose
If you're thinking about or have already started planning your upcoming sabbatical, it's like you started with your sabbatical application. That's what I did, too, when I first started planning. Soon after I hit "send" on my sabbatical application, I realized I was thinking about it all wrong. I had planned the sabbatical I thought I should take, and not the one I needed. So how do you plan the sabbatical you need? Well, it starts with identifying your sabbatical purpose, and that's what this
Nov 6, 2024 · 16 min
13. How to reflect and course correct during sabbatical
Are you on sabbatical right now? How’s it going? If you have a Fall 2024 sabbatical, then you’re just past the midway point. One of the things that is critical to a successful sabbatical is making time to reflect on how things are going. Checking in with yourself regularly allows you to take stock of what you’ve accomplished and adjust if needed. If your sabbatical has gone sideways, check out my Sabbatical Rescue program. We’ll evaluate what’s gone off track and create a plan so you can m
Oct 30, 2024 · 32 min
12. Sabbaticals and productivity
Alisa B. Lin is an assistant professor who also writes on the intersection of productivity and caregiving. In her Substack newsletter, at wewhotend.substack.com, she takes an inclusive and feminist approach to productivity advice. She is also writing a book on productivity that is explicitly inclusive of parents, caregivers, and people with disabilities. In this episode Alisa shares applies her work on productivity to sabbaticals. She provides advice and strategies for: balancing personal and
Oct 23, 2024 · 27 min
11. Learning something new on sabbatical
Amy Parks is a professor of elementary education at Michigan State University and the author of four middle grade and young adult books. She writes stories about smart girls falling for feminist boys in quirky Midwestern settings and likes using One Direction lyrics as the inspiration for entire novels. You can find her latest book, Averil Offline, and others at https://amynoelleparks.com/. In this episode, Amy talks about why she decided to pursue her MFA during her sabbatical, and how she c
Oct 16, 2024 · 39 min
10. How to plan a sabbatical away
Kristine Bowman is a professor of law and education policy at Michigan State University. After taking a 6-month sabbatical in Australia with her family, she wrote the book that is a must-read for anyone planning a sabbatical away. The book is called Modern Sabbatical: A Step-by-Step Guide to Moving Temporarily to Another City or Country. The book is an incredibly helpful tool that lays out everything you need to think about and do to make your dream sabbatical away a reality. I relied on this bo
Oct 9, 2024 · 9 min
9. Cultivating new rhythms for a sabbatical at home
In this episode I talk about the importance of intentionally creating new rhythms during an at-home sabbatical. This idea applies to sabbaticals away, too, but I think it requires a bit more intentionality if you’re not going to change your physical location during sabbatical. Listen in to learn how to mark the start of your sabbatical and how to think ahead to what you want your sabbatical to feel like and ensure it happens. If you're struggling to figure out what you should prioritize d
Oct 2, 2024 · 40 min
8. When sabbatical doesn't go as planned
Esther Alarcon Arana is an Associate Professor at Salve Regina University. She had a semester-long sabbatical in Fall 2023. A few weeks into her sabbatical, Esther learned that her father had been diagnosed with advanced cancer. In this episode, she talks about what she had initially planned for her sabbatical, and how she responded when everything changed. I’m so grateful to Esther for sharing her story, which reminds us that life continues to happen, despite our best plans and intentions. E
Sep 25, 2024 · 41 min
7. The importance of identifying your sabbatical purpose
In this episode I talk to Beth, a client in my Reignite program, about how she got clear about her sabbatical purpose, which led her to decide to take a sabbatical at home rather than in Uganda. Beth describes herself as someone who categorically does not sign up for things, so I’m flattered that she stepped out of her comfort zone and signed up for my program. Beth shares how she made the difficult decision to not spend her sabbatical away and the unexpected opportunities that decision has c
Sep 18, 2024 · 25 min
6. Sabbatical away from a kid's perspective
In this episode, I ask my 10 year-old son, Danny, all about his experience during our sabbatical time in Bordeaux. He shares his insight about how he felt when he found out we would be going away for sabbatical, what it was like to go to a new school and make new friends, his favorite travel spots in France and Europe, and so much more. If you want to hear more about kids' experiences on sabbatical, check out Episode 21. If you want to learn more about planning a sabbatical away with kids, I
Sep 11, 2024 · 25 min
5. My hybrid sabbatical with kids: France and Michigan
In this episode I tell you about my sabbatical and how I planned it. I took a hybrid sabbatical--we spent the fall semester in France and came back home (Ann Arbor, MI) for the spring. I had really wanted to go away for the whole year, but it just wasn't feasible for my family. In this episode, I share: -how and why I planned a hybrid sabbatical -why we decided to go to France and how we did it -the importance of thinking about visas -why it's important to be intentional about your goals and
Sep 4, 2024 · 19 min
4. Jen's stay-battical plan
When Jen and I first started working together, she had no sabbatical plan and was disappointed that she was going to be staying home for sabbatical. By the time she completed the Reignite program, Jen was excited about her sabbatical and had a solid plan in place to make the most of it. In this episode, we discuss: -getting excited about a stay-battical -creating a vision for sabbatical -setting boundaries -taking on a new identity during sabbatical -not focusing on details right away when pl
Aug 28, 2024 · 34 min
3. Different sabbaticals for different purposes
My guest on this episode, Anne-Lise Halvorsen, discusses her two sabbaticals in Michigan--one in which she relocated her family and the other in which they stayed home. Topics include: -considerations for sabbatical with a spouse and kids -relocating for sabbatical -taking a sabbatical where you live -funding a sabbatical -setting goals for your sabbatical -structuring your time on sabbatical Anne-Lise has tons of great advice for sabbatical-goers, and I think you'll appreciate her insight
Aug 21, 2024 · 48 min
2. David's sabbatical in Florence
In this episode I chat with my colleague, David, about his sabbatical in Florence. Topics include: -choosing Italy as a sabbatical destination -back-up plans -personal goals for sabbatical -finding work-life balance on sabbatical -setting boundaries on sabbatical -navigating Visa challenges and adapting to a new culture Give it a listen and live vicariously through David's sabbatical and his afternoon strolls through Florence! If you want to learn about how to plan your own sabbatical,
Aug 14, 2024 · 1 min
1. Sabbatical 101 Trailer
My name is Bethany Wilinski and I’m an associate professor at Michigan State University. I had a life-changing sabbatical and I’m on a mission to help fellow academics do the same. I’m so excited to launch this podcast, which will be a resource for all things academic sabbaticals. This podcast will provide inspiration and insight into the sabbatical planning process, regardless of your institution, discipline, length of sabbatical, or where you plan to sabbatical. If you want to learn more