Sabbatical Coaching for Academics

When I started offering sabbatical planning services two years ago, sabbatical coaching wasn't "a thing."

Most of us went down google rabbit holes and pieced together the information we could find, in hopes of having the type of sabbatical we craved.

Part of my motivation for starting my business was to put information out there, in one place, that would help academics like myself (feeling burned out and overwhelmed, yet excited about the prospect of sabbatical) design a sabbatical that would give them what they truly needed, and not just what their institution expected from them.

38 sabbaticals later and many podcast follows later, I'm proud to say that my work is having a positive impact!

Sometimes, colleagues will ask me, somewhat hesitantly, how my sabbatical business is going. I think they're surprised when I tell them it's great, and that I really love it! I have met so many amazing faculty, learned so much about faculty jobs in different types of institutions and departments, and I can say with confidence, that I've helped many faculty plan great sabbaticals.

Curious about their stories? You can read what my clients have to say about the sabbatical planning experience here: https://bethanywilinski.com/testimonials/

Summer is finally here!

How are you feeling?

If you're anything like I was, you might be heading into summer hoping to get EVERYTHING done.

Even though most of us are only paid 9 months of the year, we work full time during the summer in an attempt to catch up and check things off the list that didn't get done during the academic year.

I used to plan my summer this way, and I was always disappointed when August rolled around. I felt stressed out that I hadn't gotten more done and resentful that I hadn't relaxed and enjoyed my summer more.

After my sabbatical, I finally changed my approach to planning the summer. I decided to plan my summer like a mini-sabbatical.

Now, I focus on a just a few priorities, build in time for rest and fun, and intentionally pare down the number of projects I work on during the summer.

If you're curious whether this approach could work for you, I invite you to check out The Summer Reset Workbook, my guide to planning your summer like a mini-sabbatical: https://bethanywilinski.com/services/summer-reset/

One of the hardest things about planning a good sabbatical is knowing what, exactly, you should do during your sabbatical.

The answer may seem obvious: A sabbatical is for advancing one's scholarship, right?

Sure, but what does that mean in practice?

Faculty often come to me with an assumption that they need one big, all-encompassing project to work on during sabbatical. This is often tied to an assumption that a sabbatical must result in a finished product like an important publication, finished book, or funded grant.

When we drill down into their priorities and where they are right now, however, faculty often discover that the work they want to do on sabbatical is a bit less flashy, but equally important.

Sometimes the goal is to read in a new area and determine a new research direction. Sometimes it's doing a small pilot project that lays the groundwork for the next grant. Sometimes it's finishing up a few existing projects so they can start on the next one post-sabbatical. Sometimes the sabbatical goal is to finally organize lecture notes and create better systems so teaching takes less time in the future.

There's no single version of a productive sabbatical. From my perspective, the most important thing you can do is spend some time figuring out what you need from your sabbatical, so you can create a plan that aligns with those priorities.

I love guiding academics through this process. Often, the sabbatical plan they create is not the one they envisioned when they reached out to me about enrolling in my program, but it's one they are excited about.

Want support creating your plan and getting excited about your sabbatical? I'm currently enrolling clients with Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 sabbaticals!

Link in comments to learn more!

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As a qualitative researcher, I can't resist looking for patterns in the data, even when it comes to my sabbatical coaching business.

When someone schedules a free consultation with me, they complete a short intake form that gives me an initial idea of the questions they have about their sabbatical or the challenges they're facing in planning it.

It's been so interesting to read through these responses and find evidence of what I had already suspected:

Many faculty are less worried about having a productive sabbatical and more worried they won't be able to slow down.

I don't think I struggled with this, because by the time I reached sabbatical there was no other option. I couldn't keep moving forward because I was so burned out. I had to stop, rest, and reset before I could get anything "productive" done during my sabbatical.

Fortunately, most of my clients are not as burned out as I was.

Yet, so many of the academics I talk to have a sense that they need to slow down, get of the productivity hamster wheel, and set some boundaries.

At the same time, they worry that they won't be able to slow down and rest, because they're so conditioned to keep going.

This makes so much sense, and if you're feeling this way, you are definitely not alone.

If you're wondering how go work less and rest more on sabbatical, you may find this blog post a helpful guide: https://bethanywilinski.com/want-to-thrive-during-sabbatical-try-doing-less/

Summer is officially here!

What's your plan?

If you don't have one or you have a to-do list a mile long because you're hoping to get EVERYTHING done this summer, my Summer Reset Workbook is for you.

A clear and simple 5-step process that will help you prioritize, plan, and protect your time.

Learn more and purchase your copy today:
https://bethanywilinski.com/services/summer-reset/

This is a sentiment I hear over and over again from faculty who are exploring my sabbatical planning program.

I know this feeling well, because I experienced it myself.

The run up to tenure is so intense that all you can do is focus on getting publications out. Most of us don't have time to reflect on what we're saying yes to (and most of us are saying yes to everything!) or why.

As they start to think about sabbatical, many faculty realize they're not feeling the same excitement or passion that led them to academia in the first place, and they're hoping sabbatical can help them renew their interest in their work.

In my experience, this is exactly what sabbatical is for.

Sabbatical is an inflection point in an academic career when you have the time and space to reflect on what you really care about and the impact you want your work to have.

A well-planned sabbatical can help you get excited about your work again.

Curious about how we do it?

Read more about my 1:1 sabbatical coaching program, Reignite: https://bethanywilinski.com/services/reignite/

This week marks two years since I launched my sabbatical coaching business.

What began as a seed of an idea has turned into a successful side business.

Initially, I wasn't sure anyone would need this type of support. Well, 38 sabbaticals later, I am confident there are many academics, just like me, who sense there's got to be a better way to plan a sabbatical with intention.

And it's not just colleagues at my institution (in fact, most of my clients are not at MSU). I've worked with faculty from 32 different institutions in the U.S. and internationally.

They represent 26 different academic departments, which tells me faculty from across diverse fields and institution types are looking for support as they approach their sabbatical.

I've also learned that people will listen to my podcast, Sabbatical 101! I've recorded 54 episodes to date and my podcast has over 7,000 downloads.

Thank you for being part of my sabbatical planning ecosystem these two years! It's been more fun and rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

Learn more about this work here: https://bethanywilinski.com/

I'm thinking about and remembering my mom, today, on her birthday.

I first started writing down my ideas for my sabbatical coaching business in this blueberry journal my sister gifted me. Blueberries were my mom's favorite--a reminder of the house in the woods in the Poconos where she, then us kids, and now her grandchildren made so many happy summer memories.

As I approach the two year anniversary of my business, it was fun to look back at the questions and themes I was thinking about as I started to imagine what a sabbatical planning program could be.

So many of these questions still resonate and are ones I talk about every day with my clients.

Listen to the latest episode of Sabbatical 101 to learn more about common sabbatical planning challenges, and my tips for overcoming them.

https://bethanywilinski.com/podcast/54-signing-off-for-summer/

Well, it's here: the final Sabbatical 101 episode of the academic year.

I'm signing off for summer, but don't worry--there are tons of episodes you can go back to for insight and inspiration for your sabbatical.

In this episode I reflect on two years of sabbatical coaching, and what I've learned from the nearly 40 academics I've worked with.

Listen here: https://bethanywilinski.com/podcast/54-signing-off-for-summer

Have a great summer!

When you accidentally coordinate with 800-year-old Italian architecture...

Sometimes the best travel moments are the unplanned ones. Here I am channeling my inner cathedral at the stunning Siena Cathedral.

This is one of the fun memories from our family sabbatical that comes up all the time and it's emblematic of why we kept our expectations for sight-seeing low during our travels.

When you're not rushing from sight to sight, you have time to notice the little synchronicities, the unexpected moments of beauty, and yes—the accidental outfit coordination with medieval stonework.

Ready to create your own unplanned magical moments?

My 5-lesson Family Sabbatical program helps families like yours turn travel dreams into reality.

https://bethanywilinski.com/services/family-sabbatical/