One Client, One Life-Altering Reset: Taking 3 Months off to Move Abroad, Learn Spanish, and Reclaim own Power.

Most people wait for the “perfect time” to change their life.

Leaders create it.

When one of our high profile clients came to us, she just accepted the bigger promotion of her career, a country manager role with a start date 12 weeks from now. A high-pressure role was awaiting, she wasn’t burned out, she was not afraid of the new challenge, but before it all began, she wanted to invest some time in herself and reset in an active and intellectually stimulating way.

She invested in her ambition.

Together, we designed a 90-day active sabbatical.

Not a “pause.”

Not a “break.”

A reset with intention. A chapter of strategic recovery and expansion.

Her vision was bold:

Change the country.

Immerse in a new culture.

Learn a new language—fast.

Return to her career with more clarity, more confidence, and a story that made her stand out.

We chose San Sebastián, a coastal gem in the Basque Country, where surfboards and tapas share the streets. Not the obvious choice. But the right one for her.

Why It Worked: The Power of the Active Sabbatical

Most high-achievers fear time off will stall their momentum. But when you work with a coach to intentionally design that time, here’s what actually happens:

1. You stay in motion—just a different kind.

Learning Spanish became her new 9-to-1. She built discipline, routine, and accountability around growth—just in a different domain. And it reinvigorated her executive energy.

2. You interrupt old patterns.

Changing geography changes perspective. She swapped Slack notifications for early morning café con leche, long walks by the ocean, and full immersion in a language that challenged her brain in all the right ways.

3. You return sharper, not slower.

By the time she re-entered the job market, she wasn’t rusty. She was on fire. Clear on what she wanted next. Equipped with a renewed mindset. And—bonus—fluent enough to lead conversations across borders.

The Leadership Lesson?

You don’t lose momentum by stepping away.

You lose it by staying stuck in a passive monotony.

This wasn’t a vacation.

This was self-directed transformation.

And it worked because she treated this in-between roles like what it was:

A powerful inflection point.

We mapped it like a project.

We built structure around exploration.

We made courage practical, not just aspirational.

If you’re in transition and wondering whether you should take time—or how to make the most of it—ask yourself:

• What if this isn’t a gap, but a launchpad?

• What if reinvention could be strategic, not chaotic?

• What would you gain if you stopped waiting for clarity and started creating it?

  
  

You don’t need to “go find yourself.”

You need to design your next step and move forward.

In active sabbatical coaching we not just to help you take time off. But we help you use it on purpose.

Your momentum isn’t behind you.

It’s waiting in San Sebastián.

Or wherever your reset begins.