Only six months? That's not enough. That's trying to hold on, afraid it will go away. At least take a year, but really, just take off. Do your sabbatical - your time on the open water - but then move onward. Life is short; you will have very few opportunities like this one. You might not ever be as popular and successful as you are now, but you might, and likely in a completely different way. Your blog might fall apart even if you stay, and then what will you have? But for sure, you won't get many chances like this in life; the world changes, something will change in your life or your world, and the opportunity will vanish.
I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
121–130 of 152 posts
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
If a knowledgeable person on your team is burnt out and considering a new job, a long (paid) vacation can be advantageous for all.
Most managers don't have the luxury of being Gabe Newell from Valve. They'll just fire you as soon as you sound like your numbers are going down with some cause. Even if in the long run it'll be better, most managers only work at companies for 4 years, under VPs who only work their 6 or 7 years. The long term health of the team isn't a priority for anyone.
This is HN, you can just say "Gabe" and we'll get your point! :)
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wish therapy were more accessible and better regulated. You shouldn't have to still be so upset about a normal early adopter experience 27 years later that you unload on strangers like this.
What is the problem with the comment? (Perhaps it was edited between our responses?)
Describing someone else's success as messed up while riding the line between venting and emotional dumping. Blogging was seen as a weird nerd thing until the 2000s and got the usual response. I doubt Jason Kottke was spared the same experience. I sure wasn't! But I went a healthier path and took the chain of failures and small wins as learning experiences that have served me well in the years since.
Some people get bitter about failure, and then dump it in places where no one asked without any of the grace and introspection that might turn it from obnoxious to something others can learn from. That's the problem.
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really feel like you're reading too much into the term "burned out". You can get sick of doing anything and lose the spark. I've never managed to do anything consistently for half as long as he's run his blog. It's kind of amazing to me he lasted this long. I just get the sense that his interest in it is waning, and he doesn't want to just "check the box" every day. It's his right. Just because some people live in…
I agree with everything you wrote. This is the crux of my annoyance: >I'm curious, would it have bothered you as much if he'd just said: "I'm sick of this blog and I'm quitting it?" because that's basically what he did, except he promised to come back (I wonder if he'll regret that promise in six months). Yes, this is exactly how he should have phrased it. "Burnt out" is a very strong term that refers to a state of e…
> Yes, this is exactly how he should have phrased it. "Burnt out" is a very strong term that refers to a state of extreme mental anguish induced by an unreasonable and inescapable level of overwork.
If that's the crux of your objection, we can put this to bed. From Wikipedia:
> According to the World Health Organization (WHO), occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress, with symptoms characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy".
So, it's the amount of stress over time, not amount of work per day. He says he's sick of following the news every day to write about it on his blog. I can see how reading the news every day, even when you don't want to, can be stressful. Even if I didn't, the point is that he does.
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
I tried to quit 2 months ago due to burnout. My manager told me to rather go on extended sick leave, and contact him in 6 months if I felt like coming back.
I just quit last month for burnout reasons. I’ve had my foot on the gas for…19 years. My management really wanted me to do the sick leave thing. My therapist would have backed me up if I needed proof. I chose not to take that offer because I didn’t want a timetable looming, and I wanted to be truly free from any pressure to return. The role was also very customer facing, which put me in a weird spot about what to tel…
Make sure to really take your time, assuming you can afford it. It took me 3 years to get back on my feet after a major case of burn-out and I was done with the business world for a long time after that.
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
Quoted post unavailable.
I wish therapy were more accessible and better regulated. You shouldn't have to still be so upset about a normal early adopter experience 27 years later that you unload on strangers like this.
> I wish therapy were more accessible and better regulated.
Those are incompatible wishes. More regulation automatically leads to higher costs. Enforcing the “right” training and hence ideology also doesn’t help when the only thing that has an effect on therapeutic effectiveness is the extent to which a therapist and client vibe with each other.
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#127More room for roots, and a bracing system will help. (and it will help the plant).
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#128Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is where I would have lawyered up. I don't know where this happened to you, but over in Europe I'm pretty sure this is illegal and I'd be gunning for some sweet, sweet money.
Unless they're in a legally protected class or live in Montana, his or her employer can fire them for whatever reason they want (and the employee can leave for whatever reason they want as well).
Do try to remember that there are other countries than the USA.
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
I just quit last month for burnout reasons. I’ve had my foot on the gas for…19 years. My management really wanted me to do the sick leave thing. My therapist would have backed me up if I needed proof. I chose not to take that offer because I didn’t want a timetable looming, and I wanted to be truly free from any pressure to return. The role was also very customer facing, which put me in a weird spot about what to tel…
Make sure to really take your time, assuming you can afford it. It took me 3 years to get back on my feet after a major case of burn-out and I was done with the business world for a long time after that.
It's helpful to hear anecdotes like this. My minimum time will be 6 months, but I have entertained up to a year depending on how these 6 months go. Thankfully I've saved enough to cover even more time if I really need it.
I hear you on the business burnout. That's the part I could see taking...a good while for myself.
Re: I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
#130Quoted post unavailable.
> If only those of us with 9-5 jobs and bills to pay could take six months off.
Wagie wagie get in cagie.
All day long you sweat and ragie.
NEET is comfy. NEET is cool.
NEET is free from work and school.
Wagie trapped and wagie died.
NEET eats tendies, sauce, and fries.