Is Taking a Gap Year Really So Shameful?

It's been a while since I wrote some pieces on here... I had a lot of thoughts to share - and even pieces prepared, but somehow it just didn't feel like the right time or topic to preach about. It's been almost a year now since I handed in my notice and packed my bags to leave Dubai, with literally no plan. It was a decision I made without consulting a single soul or making an extensive pros & cons lists - it was really one of those things where I woke up one day and I knew it was enough. Those who know me, know I usually make sound decisions, and I tend to lead more with my head than my heart. Everything always needs to make sense financially and my hunger for success used to be insatiable. If you had to ask me a year ago what 'success' meant to me, I would've probably told you some story about wanting to be the CMO of some fantastic company. But did I really..?

The last few months have been the most profound months OF MY LIFE. I'm not really a 'go with the flow' kinda gal, so when I took time off - you can safely assume I didn't fit the stereotype of what a gap-year-taker should look like. At first I felt somewhat ashamed to tell people I had taken time off. It's hard to pin down why, but I think I felt like I needed to immediately follow it up with a 'but I plan to XXX' in order to not sound like I'd lost my mind. Maybe because I've always had a plan and I've always had answers? This time round, I didn't. Since then, I had a few interviews here and there, and I kept on getting the same blank stare every time. The blank stare was then replaced by total confusion, and I was quickly prompted with a 'What happened at your previous job?' Now, how do you say 'I wasn't feeling it anymore' and still sound like a reliable business professional? Needless to say, I had a little narrative I'd spin with a pretty smile and lots of confidence. But, is it really so weird to take a time-out and regroup with your thoughts? I'd busted my ass for 10 years and prioritized my job over EVERYTHING else - surely it's not so bizarre to just step off the treadmill and enjoy the view for a bit? It doesn't make me any less committed, or any less smart, professional or good at my job than the next person. In fact, if anything, I'm a much better version of myself now because I've spent ten solid months of personal development.

Jay Shetty recently shared a podcast around Adult Gap Years, and when I heard it I thought to myself, PREACH. He started off the podcast with asking: If you had to repeat this week, month or year for the next 3-5 years; are you going to be where you want to be, who you want to be - or are you moving further away? Back then, I knew my answer to that would've been no. Did I really want my job to be all I have left? Who was I doing this all for? What value was I adding to the world? I knew I couldn't figure it out overnight, but I also knew I needed stillness to redirect my compass and follow a new path. I started off my gap year journey with making a list of the things I didn't like about myself, and slowly worked through that. I focused on being more kind and patient, improving my fitness, regularly speaking to my friends, learning and reading, listening to podcasts and discovering new cultures, hobbies and places. Gap years are so much more than just a YOLO life of booze and parties. They allow you the opportunity to rediscover yourself and do things you actually like. Through self-discovery, you realize your true potential and calling in life. I am 100% a better and more solid version of myself than I was a few months ago, and every single day I am grateful for making the decision to let go of my old self. Since then, I've redefined what success means to me. Leaning on the words of Maya Angelou: Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it, and it fills me with immense pride to say that I've finally gotten there. 

Cheers for reading! Would love to know your thoughts on the topic! Have you taken an Adult gap year before?