Jo Popplestone

‘We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails’

In 2014 my husband and I made a life changing decision and moved from the UK to Sydney leaving family, friends and all of our comforts behind. We couldn’t change the fact that we were a childless couple, but we could choose to adjust our sails and ‘move forward’ and explore the next chapter in our lives.

Fast forward 10yrs and we had moved forwards. We had developed a life for ourselves, made friends, developed our careers, owned a house and acquired an unwanted cat!. However, we did not want to settle for stability and comfort and what we perceived as a ‘regular life’. We held onto the belief (that took many years to form) that if we could not be ‘parents’ what we could have is ‘freedom’ to adjust the sails and explore what else life had to offer.

At the beginning of 2024 we were feeling exhausted, both working hard and often long hours in leadership roles. Weekends became about recovery and preparing for the week ahead and we had a growing sense that something needed to change. Our lives unexpectedly shifted when my husband was made redundant. We took this as an opportunity to adjust our sails. I asked my employer for 7mths unpaid leave (a sabbatical) and in February 2024 we embarked on a new chapter. Initially a time of rest, then a period of discovery by perusing interests, being creative, engaging in new experiences, spending time with family and friends all this with the broader goal of being inspired and (hopefully) developing a focus for the next chapter of our lives.

I hope by sharing my experiences at this point in my sabbatical, it provides an opportunity for you to reflect on your life and consider whether there is an adjustment you’d like to make to your sails to enable you to move forward.

Learn a new skill

Firstly, to explain the use of sailing terminology, one of the goals for the sabbatical was to learn to sail, to advance from the childhood dingy sailing experience to master a larger boat and explore the freedom having a home on the water could provide. We’ve lived on land in different places and enjoyed developing our camping experiences. Living using natural resources (the wind, tide, currents) to move us to the next destination sounded like an interesting area to explore.

Over the last few months I’ve moved forward in my knowledge and skills and completed both a ‘Competent Crew’ and ‘Day Skipper’ course, sailing in Sydney, Scotland and Greece all providing vastly different experiences. I loved the sailing, being surrounded by nature, experiencing the wind in the sails, the warm sun on my body, being able to dive into the Mediterranean ocean, meeting interesting people and exploring new places. I’ve come away energised and inspired to explore where this newly developed interest could take us in the future.

Invest in relationships

It’s easily to neglect friends and family during times of busyness and stress, especially when you live the other side of the world to your family. Taking a sabbatical has enabled us to spend a few months in the UK to reconnect, develop relationships, and have some deep conversations face to face rather than on online. It has also provided time away from my colleagues and friendships in Australia which has highlighted the friendships I have missed and who I want to invest time and energy in moving forward.

Take time to breathe and be present

Being present in the moment can be hard to achieve when there’s a constant stream of work emails, travel and online meetings. Reducing the ‘noise’, and being present in the moment has been deeply restorative. Slowing life down, disconnecting from social media, being in nature, practicing yoga, running on trails are just some of the ways my mind and body have begun to recalibrate. Connecting the head, heart and gut brain has also enabled me to be more aware of how I ‘respond’ rather than ‘react’ in situations which not surprisingly, has led to better outcomes.

Get creative

I’m in the process of renovating our old kitchen, which is something I didn’t have the time or energy for whilst working full time. Finances are limited so I’ve spent hours watching You Tube videos to learn how to paint wooden panelling and restore kitchen cupboards. It’s amazing what you can do on a budget!

Have fun

So simple but so easy to let the pressures of life become all consuming. I’ve laughed lots over the last few months, my jaw has ached at times from the smile on my face. The last time I experienced this level was joy was many years ago. Surrounding myself with fun experiences and people that are life giving has been fundamental in restoring my energy. Having fun has been inspirational and moved me forward.

Developing a focus for the next chapter

When I embarked on my sabbatical I was exhausted, frustrated and in some areas of my employment feeling unfulfilled. Taking time out of work has changed my perspective of work, it has enabled me to focus on my strengths, what I enjoy, what I can gain and what I can contribute to both the people I work with and the wider organisation. I can’t always adjust the way or the strength that the wind is blowing (in this instance is the organisation I work for) however I do get to adjust the sails (my attitude and responses) on my boat and that can make a significant difference.

I’m going back to work in a few weeks and choosing to return to slightly reduced hours. I am also exploring ways to take regular breaks rather than waiting for retirement and (shhh don’t tell my boss) already thinking about when I can take my next sabbatical!

Whether you are in a partnership, or single, whether you have financial resources or not, I believe there is always the opportunity to adjust the sails and move forwards. Whether that’s taking unpaid leave, reducing your working hours or exploring a new interest or experience. Intentional actions to adjust your sails will enable you to make better use of the wind, either to speed up the direction you are heading or to set your sails to take you someplace else, possibly the beginning of an exciting new adventure.