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A new book by DJ DiDonna · Out July 21, 2026

Big Time Off

The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One

“In our work-obsessed culture, grabbing even a few days off is hard—let alone taking a real sabbatical. But it can be done, and it might be the most important career move you ever make. Read DJ DiDonna’s Big Time Off to see why and how to do it.”
—Arthur C. Brooks, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Sabbaticals of various types have played a major role in my life. So, I was thrilled to read DJ DiDonna's compelling and nuanced take on this often overlooked, yet undeniably powerful strategy."
—Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work
"Big Time Off is a long-overdue challenge to the way we've been taught to think about work. Backed by original research and compelling stories, DiDonna elegantly makes the case that stepping away from your job could be the most important thing you can do for your success and your happiness. A practical yet empowering guide, this book is essential reading for reclaiming your direction and your life."
—Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

The most important moments of your life rarely happen at a desk.

The idea behind BIG TIME OFF is simple: The most important breakthroughs in life rarely happen at our desks. Without dedicating significant time to be present in moments of difficulty, celebration, and transition, we risk sleepwalking through life’s biggest moments. 

DJ DiDonna, Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer and founder of The Sabbatical Project, reframes extended leave from a privileged perk to essential guidance for navigating the modern career and life. 

Drawing on a decade of research, hundreds of interviews, and DiDonna’s own sabbatical experience after burning out from running a fintech company for eight years, BIG TIME OFF explores why the transformational benefits of extended time away from work requires much longer than a vacation and has such a profound impact on our identity, relationships, creativity, and direction.

On his sabbatical, DiDonna walked more than 900 miles on pilgrimage across Japan, cared for his mother, and spent many more mundane moments healing, resetting his priorities, and charting a very different next chapter. His academic research shows that extended leave can catalyze reinvention—producing changes comparable to other “peak life experiences,” such as the birth of a child or one’s wedding day.

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“A key resource…Whether gap year or a modest form of time off, the sabbatical, DiDonna proves, has immense value in this uncertain world.” — Booklist

Preorder Bonuses

Three reasons to preorder before July 21.

Available only for readers who preorder before July 21.

Start reading before launch.

Get the Introduction and Chapter 1 "Setting a Good Example" — what an ideal sabbatical actually looks like.

Join DJ on 3x live calls.

Three 75-minute Zoom calls in July — 30 minutes of teaching, 45 minutes of open Q&A. All calls are recorded and accessible for free.

Get access to the Sabbatical Curious Community.

Connect with others to share ideas, strategies and plan your unique sabbatical with peer support.

1. Preorder the Book Today →
2. Claim your bonuses here →

Exclusive Live Zoom Calls

Three live calls to help you shape your sabbatical.

Three live Zoom calls with author DJ DiDonna. Bring your questions to the open Q&A — get specific answers for your situation. All recorded if you can’t attend live.

Call #1 — What's Pulling You Toward This — and What's in the Way

If you want to understand the case for a sabbatical before designing your own.

You’ll leave with:

  • DJ’s personal story — how he came to this work, and why
  • The headline findings from a decade of interviewing sabbatical-takers
  • Why a sabbatical does something nothing else in your life can
  • What’s at stake if you don’t make space for one

When: Thursday, July 9 · 8pm ET / 5pm PT (recordings will be sent to those who can’t attend)

If you’re working out whether to take a sabbatical — and what yours could actually look like.

You’ll leave with:

  • Clarity on whether now is the right moment to take one
  • A sense of which archetype(s) you lean toward
  • The principles that separate a transformative sabbatical from a working vacation
  • The start of a vision for your own

When: Thursday, July 16 · 8pm ET / 5pm PT (recordings will be sent to those who can’t attend)

If you’re preparing to take a sabbatical and want to see what’s ahead.

You’ll leave with:

  • What to do before, during, and after
  • What sabbaticals do for your career, and how to position one at work
  • The common pitfalls people don’t see coming — and how to troubleshoot them
  • The role each of us has in making sabbaticals more equitable

When: Monday, July 20 · 8pm ET / 5pm PT (recordings will be sent to those who can’t attend)

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Praise from leading authors and researchers.

"Many of us secretly sense that our lives are moving faster than our souls can follow. This book names that truth and offers something rare: permission. DJ DiDonna shows that the modern quest for a sabbatical is really a rediscovery of the ancient human need for a Sabbath—a rhythm of stepping away in order to return whole. This is not a book about escaping your life; it's about reentering it more fully, with clarity, intention, and heart."
— Jerry Colonna, CEO and cofounder of Reboot.io and author of Reboot and Reunion
"Could our best life be the one we step back from? An insightful and convincing call to take the time to live the examined life."
— Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness
"This book is a long-overdue challenge to the way we've been taught to think about work. Backed by original research and compelling stories, DJ DiDonna elegantly makes the case that stepping away from your job could be the most important thing you can do for your success and your happiness. A practical yet empowering guide, this book is essential reading for reclaiming your direction and your life."
— Laurie Santos, professor of psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast
"The clearest and most persuasive case I've seen for why stepping away from work can change a life. DiDonna shows that sabbaticals aren't indulgences—they're powerful engines of renewal, creativity, and reinvention. If you've ever wondered whether time off could really matter, read this book."
— Herminia Ibarra, Charles Handy Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School and author of Working Identity
"I read DJ DiDonna's beautifully written book with admiration—and, admittedly, a touch of envy. Big Time Off is filled with compelling stories that reveal the surprising power of taking extended time away from work to rediscover meaning and vitality. And if you anticipate thinking, 'That sounds wonderful, but there's no way I could do it,' don't worry—DiDonna offers a thoughtful, practical guide to help you make big time off possible in your own life."
— Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School and author of Right Kind of Wrong
"DiDonna shares groundbreaking work on sabbaticals with expertise and vulnerability. I riddled my copy with notes, highlights, and exclamation marks as I considered his challenge that we carve out time to be fully human. This practical guide is both an existential call to action and a life-affirming offering of hope."
— Dolly Chugh, professor of management at NYU Stern School of Business and author of The Person You Mean to Be
About the Author

DJ DiDonna is a senior lecturer of business administration at Harvard Business School, where he teaches MBA courses on entrepreneurship and building meaningful professional and personal lives.

He has spent his career translating social science research into real-world tools for positive change. In 2019, DiDonna founded The Sabbatical Project to define, explore, and research the role of sabbaticals in modern life. He has helped organizations around the world—from nonprofits to Fortune 50 companies—design and implement sabbatical policies. 

His work has been featured in The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Time, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Previously, DiDonna cofounded EFL Global, a fintech company that enabled more than $2 billion in capital to underbanked businesses and individuals across twenty countries before its acquisition in 2018. DiDonna earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

On his sabbatical, DiDonna walked nine hundred miles on pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan, helped lead the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at his undergraduate alma mater, Notre Dame, and unskillfully remodeled his kitchen. Outside work, you can find him plotting how to be in the Big Outdoors.

How it works

Three easy steps to claim your bonuses.

Preorder the book.

Order on Amazon — hardcover, Kindle or Audible preorders all qualify.

Save your order confirmation.

You'll need your order number and a screenshot of your receipt.

Submit your receipt.

Go to the verification page, enter your details and we'll send your bonuses within 24 hours.

1. Preorder the Book Today →
2. Claim your bonuses here →

Get Your Copy Today

After completing your order, go here to verify your purchase and claim your free bonuses.

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Frequently asked questions.

Preorder the book from Amazon, save your order # and take a screenshot of your confirmation, then submit it on the verification page. You’ll get your bonuses within a few hours.

Within a few hours, you’ll get an email with a PDF of the Introduction and Chapter 1 and a second email with calendar invites for the three live Zoom calls and instructions for joining the community. The community is hosted on WhatsApp, so you’ll need a WhatsApp account to join.

Yes — any hardcover, Kindle or Audible preorder from Amazon or Bookpal.com made before July 21, 2026 qualify.

All calls are at 5pm ET / 8pm PT

  • Call #1 — Thursday, July 9
  • Call #2 — Thursday, July 16
  • Call #3 — Sunday, July 20

You’ll receive email reminders before each call. 

All three calls are recorded. You’ll get the recording within 48 hours, plus any resources DJ shares.

No. Each one stands alone. But they’re sequenced — decide, design, plan — so most readers find they want all three.

You still qualify. Submit your existing receipt through the form on the verification page.

The bonuses go to the email address on the receipt. Have your friend submit their own receipt with their own email.

There’s a whole chapter for you — “On Modest Sabbaticals.” The book is built to be useful at any scale.

People looking for a productivity hack or a burnout listicle. Big Time Off is a researched, considered guide for people seriously weighing extended time away from a job.

Start planning your sabbatical today!

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