Hearing the phrase “Gap Year,” most immediately associate the expression with the year high school students take off before heading to college. Have you ever considered a gap year as an adult? I’m speaking for the 30s plus; yes, you, too, can take a gap year! Or maybe find a gap moment instead!
Up until this point, my life felt like a crazy roller coaster. As much as I wanted to be what society calls a well-put-together 30-year-old woman, that wasn’t my reality. When envisioning what I wanted my life to look like, I needed to silence the noise, regroup, and find new roads of inspiration. I was craving the urge to become equipped with questions and answers. I demanded something that would get me excited for the next day. For me, however, I couldn’t silence the noise. My job wasn’t pushing me to spring into action for the next phase, ultimately making it hard to see progressive strides into the life I envisioned.
I understand a gap year isn’t an option for everyone, and it wasn’t for me. Particularly if you’re unappreciated at your job, have a family to support, or lack the means to support the loss of income. To be clear, it is not a spare-of-the-moment life decision; it takes planning and preparation.
I didn’t work for months at a time with my previous job. Initially, the thought of weeks or months off without pay was a struggle, and it didn’t sit well with me. After a couple of weeks off, I begin looking at it differently. In hindsight, I was grateful to have a job and a job with long breaks in between. I realized I needed to utilize that time and make it beneficial instead of focusing on the negative. It’s why ‘gap moments’ became a thought in my life.
To make the best effort to maximize that time, I started doing research on “Gap Years” for adults and what that means for the 30-plus. Most of the research I came across focused on the traveling aspect of it. Seeing we can’t ditch our day jobs to travel the world, I shifted my focus to a “gap moment” rather than a “gap year.”
What Is A “Gap Moment”
Generally, a “gap is an unfilled space or interval; a break in continuity.” In terms of your life, it can span from a week, month, or year. Instead of having a continuity of ‘unfilled space,’ concentrate on filling the space appropriately. Ultimately bringing us to a ‘Gap Moment.’ It’s time to fill those holes by processing your thoughts and feelings and tailoring your perspective to your passion so that it aligns with your goals. Remember, this is not a vacation with family or friends but a chance to sit alone without influence from others.
Why would I Need This
A ‘Gap Moment’ is about creating quality time to nurture your spirit and guiding you to acknowledge your emotional headspace. Often we make decisions that do not align with our purpose. Learning to create time to evaluate the possible outcomes is often necessary. Regardless if you are on the right career path or still undecided, taking time away from work will do one or two things.
A) Illuminate the reality that you are unhappy with the current situation and reveal it’s time for a change.
or
B) not only will you realize you love what you’re doing, but you will also see different possibilities to increase your productivity and maybe even figure out a way to get that raise you deserve.
This process does not have to seem restricted to your job; this time can benefit other avenues in your life—for instance, your lifestyle, your circle of friends, and things you want to take advantage of. Maybe you are happy in your career but want to create another income stream.
Acknowledging my job was not my career, and not somewhere I saw myself in 2-5 years was the first step. However, it was a job that I needed to give me the vision for greater heights—allowing me to have months without work forced me to create balance and time to explore different avenues—that time also taught me how to budget, another critical factor that prepared me for the sacrifices needed for the dream job that was waiting for me.
Things to Acknowledge
When planning your gap year op moment, you must acknowledge what, when, why, and how. Create a clear perspective for what you are asking of yourself. What is your reason behind the Gap Moment? Are you stagnant, in a constanpatternen of reevaluating new and old decisions, or just looking for that light bulb moment? Why do you need this? Is it to figure out a way to get ahead and regain control? How will you go about it? Day trip to the beach, a weekend in Mexico, or full-out Eat Love Prey!
I recently read The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir by Jennifer Lewis (great re, ad, by the way), and she states how she took a solo vacation for clarity. At the time, she was contemplating retiring and needed a sign. While on this trip, she utilized her time with silence and prayer. She soon received confirmation in the form of a TV show he had longed to have an opportunity and a dream she would have passed on if she had made the impulsive decision to retire.
Once you have acknowledged that,s consider what you need to do or where to go and cast away your self-doubts. For mitts, the best; sitting on the beach in solitude for hours provides clarity amid uncertainty.
For some, this is straightforward; for others, it might take a while. However, you decided to seek guidance as your choice. Remember, a ‘Gap Moment’ is to silence the noise, ignore outside influences, and listen to your heart. We all want to find purpose in life, so why not create an escape with meaning, a chance to face your fears, and invent a new reality? y.