From time to time I will stumble upon a TED talk that will really spark my interest and occasionally it will drive me into the TED site to explore and watch more talks! A while back I saw a link to this talk by Stefan Sagmeister, a designer from New York City. His talk, titled “The Power of Time off” was something that has really given me lots to think about.

A few years back, Sagmeister stumbled on the concept of a sabbatical, a set period of time to put aside your regular work and do something totally different. In this case, Sagmeister closes his entire studio every seven years for an entire year and moves somewhere that interest him. He feels that the value gained from these personal sabbaticals are worth more then any income he would have gained actually working. 

While I have never, nor will I ever, been able to take a year off, I have had short vacations that have rejuvenated me. The best came during a very hectic time and was one week totally off the grid: no internet or phone! I wish I could do something like that every year!