Big Time Off

"A sabbatical might be the most important career move you ever make. Read this book to see why—and how to do it." —Arthur C. Brooks, harvard professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author A guide to transforming your well-being and your career through purposeful time off, from Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer and founder of the Sabbatical Project. Our world of work prioritizes the urgent, but the most important moments of our life rarely happen at a desk. In Big Time Off, Sabbatical Project founder DJ DiDonna explores a simple but radical idea: sabbaticals help us avoid sleepwalking through life by giving us time to be present in moments of celebration, difficulty, and transition. Integrating original research and compelling stories of sabbatical-takers from all walks of life—from teachers and nonprofit leaders to startup founders and Fortune 500 employees—Big Time Off explores why extended time away from work has such a profound effect on people's identity, relationships, creativity, and direction. You'll learn:

Whether you dream of making a big change, exploring the world, or simply carving out space to heal, think, and recalibrate, Big Time Off is your guide to creating a richer, more intentional life.

DJ DiDonna is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, where he teaches entrepreneurship. In 2019, he founded The Sabbatical Project to define, explore, and research sabbaticals. DiDonna has advised over a dozen organizations on the creation of sabbatical policies, including Zappos, Google, and DaVita, and from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies, both in the United States and around the world. He attended Harvard Business School and cofounded an international credit-scoring company, EFL Global (the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab), based in Lima, Peru.