My Gap Year

A journey of rediscovery after twenty years of software development and management

  • I read a book about Slow Productivity

    I read a book about Slow Productivity

    Who else here is getting tired of the constant and relentless push to be ever more productive? Is it just me? I feel like we are already very productive, but it’s never enough. Every year, businesses are trying to grow, must lower their costs and improve their margins. A business cannot simply be successful, it…

  • My goals for a great and successful gap year

    My goals for a great and successful gap year

    The first question anyone asked me when I was telling people I was planning to take a year off was: “what are you going to do during your year off?” It turns out that’s a really good question, one that is a bit hard to answer. I had spent some time thinking about this and…

  • Good Goals for a Successful Gap Year

    Good Goals for a Successful Gap Year

    Before quitting my job, I made an initial list of goals for myself for my gap year. This list is a living document and will surely change during my year off. But I’d like to share it with you today. The goal this year is to rest, reset and rediscover myself. Accordingly, all the activities…

  • Why I Decided to Take a Year Off

    Why I Decided to Take a Year Off

    Today marks the first month anniversary of my gap year. A month ago today, I was out of energy and quit my job in the hope of resetting myself. I will spend this year resting, blogging and working on a few projects. This blog will be where I record my thoughts and feelings during my…

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This is how it all started…

I took the plunge and decided to quit my job, except that this time I didn’t have another job lined up. I just left and decided to take a year off and rediscover who am I and what I really want to do for a living because what I’ve been doing these past few years has been draining my batteries empty. I realize the immense privilege that I have to even be able to do this and I am grateful for all the opportunities that I have had in the past that have led me to this moment, and for the support of my family as they tolerate me while I search for my true self, staying at home all day!

What will I do during my year off? This is a question that I’m asked a lot and I think I have an answer. Well, kind of. Stick around as I explain everything during my year off and see where this road takes me. Will I come out of this a new person? Will I go back to software engineering in my late forties? Will I bite the bullet and go back to management? Or will I decide that now is a great time to start a new business? Only time will tell, but at least you won’t have to wait that long to find out… I only have 49 weeks left as I write this!

Louis Salin

Entrepreneur, software engineer and manager