This week, I’m providing you with an update on my journey towards saving $100,000 to take a sabbatical. As you know, I’ve chosen this amount based on a specific savings plan with my “why’s” in mind.
At the end of this month, when some equity I have in my company vests, I will have reached my goal.
There won’t be a big party or celebration. The calendar will just roll over, and it will be another day. In fact, I’m not even planning to take my sabbatical for some time yet.
Why not? That’s a story for another post.
So, what does this mean for my day-to-day life?
Not much.
Just like when people hit whatever goal they are aiming for, whether it’s a million dollars, a FIRE number, a weight loss goal, a personal record at the gym, there’s not much physical change. You are only a few cents richer, a few ounces lighter, or a few seconds faster than you were the day before.
But there’s a mental shift. It’s like unlocking the key to a door. Click. Now you know that you can do something you had been working towards for so long. That’s powerful.
When my bank account rolls over to that $100,000 at the end of the month, I will take a few minutes to be excited.
But I already know that there will be challenges along with it. The biggest challenge will be focusing on what’s next.
What exactly will I tell my colleagues when I’m ready to make the leap?
How will the conversation I have with my boss go?
What will I be doing with my time during my sabbatical?
And most pressingly, will the sabbatical cause such a shift in my life that everything will be different after it’s over? What will I be doing when it’s over? Am I finally going to find my purpose in life?
In many ways, saving $100,000 feels much easier than facing these tough questions.
This post is part of our Sabbatical Sundays series. To read more, click here.
