Three months ago, I left my director role at Google to take a deliberate pause.
I had a plan—a structure built around three pillars that mattered deeply to me:
- 🌍 Travel – to live my bucket list
- 💼 Grow as a coach – to build my new professional path
- 🧘 Deepen my Buddhist studies – to connect with my inner world
I was excited, a little scared, and mostly curious—what would actually happen when the plan met reality?
Now, a quarter into this sabbatical year, I wanted to pause and reflect:
What’s going well? What’s harder than expected? And what needed to change?
This is a follow-up to my original sabbatical post:
👉 Why I Left My Director Role at Google – A Case for Intentional Career Breaks
Pillar One: Living My Travel Dreams
This is the pillar where execution and intention are most aligned.
Since I left Google, I’ve traveled to Vietnam, Nepal, India, and even went on a spontaneous trekking trip to Portugal with a dear friend. These journeys have offered more than just beauty and excitement—they’ve helped me reconnect with myself in new and meaningful ways.
I’ve traveled alone, with friends, and with loved ones. Each experience taught me something—not just about the world, but about who I am and how I want to live.
One big realization? I thrive on hybrid travel.
Rather than a continuous year on the road, I prefer taking shorter trips with time in between to come home—spending time with family and friends, resting, and staying connected to my other sabbatical goals. It’s a rhythm that feels sustainable and deeply fulfilling.
The year ahead is already full of travel plans—one destination per month—each chosen with care.
Pillar Two: Growing as a Coach
Professionally, this pillar is energizing.
I’ve built a steady flow of coaching clients, and I’m also working as a teacher’s assistant in co-active training courses. These roles have helped me refine my skills, expand my presence, and deepen my commitment to the coaching path.
A surprising discovery has been my love for writing.
What began as a way to market my coaching has turned into a personal practice of reflection and meaning-making. Writing helps me process what I’m going through, clarify what I’m learning, and connect more honestly with others.
Pillar Three: Deepening My Buddhist Studies
This has been the most grounding—and the most challenging—of the three original pillars.
My time in a monastery in Nepal gave me exactly what I hoped for: space to slow down, focus inward, and build my daily meditation practice. It helped me connect with Buddhist philosophy in a much deeper way and reminded me how essential this work is for me.
That said, my advanced online Buddhism course has been tough to keep up with.
The first semester focused on Buddhist philosophy—covering foundational topics like the Four Noble Truths, the nature of reality, and dependent origination. It was deeply enriching and helped me see the world (and myself) through a more spacious, compassionate lens.
Now, in the second semester, we’ve shifted to Buddhist psychology—exploring the structure of the mind, mental formations, and how we perceive the world around us. The material is fascinating, but also dense. And balancing two weekly classes with frequent travel hasn’t been easy.
I finished the first semester and passed the exam, but I already have a backlog of classes in the second semester and another trip coming up soon.
This is a work in progress. I want to stay committed, but I also need to be honest with myself about pace and priorities. I’m still learning how to navigate that.
The Missing Piece: Adding a Fourth Pillar
Despite how personally meaningful these months have been, something felt incomplete.
There’s so much happening in the world right now—so much pain and uncertainty. And I realized I couldn’t just focus inward without also finding a way to give outward.
That’s why I added a fourth pillar: Paying it forward.
I started volunteering, giving pro bono coaching sessions, offering talks, and mentoring younger women and entrepreneurs. It’s not a huge commitment in terms of hours—but it’s deeply meaningful. It helps me stay connected to the world around me and reminds me that personal growth and service can (and should) go hand in hand.
So… How’s It Really Going?
Planning vs. execution?
Overall, I’m proud of how things are unfolding.
Not everything is easy, or perfect, or always going exactly as planned. But I’m building something intentional—something real.
There are adjustments to make and things I still want to improve. But I’m clear on my direction, and that feels like the most important thing.
And every once in a while, I do catch myself thinking:
“Can someone pinch me? I’m really doing this.”
Not in the sense of fantasy.
But in the quiet, grounded sense of: this life I designed—it’s actually happening.
💬 I’d Love to Hear from You
When was the last time you did something that gave you that ‘pinch me’ feeling—real, grounded, and meaningful?
Feel free to share your story in the comments.
Mor Schlesinger 
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