This week, we are bringing you an installment of Protiviti’s Sabbatical Series, which highlights some of the useful and memorable ways colleagues have utilized their sabbatical benefit to deepen their learning and enhance their lives simultaneously.
Protiviti offers the benefit of a sabbatical to our employees so that they may take time off to pursue their interests and passions. You may be thinking, what is a sabbatical? A sabbatical is a leave of absence available to employees to take time away from work for personal pursuits. Whether someone dreams of international travel, pursuing further education, or simply taking time for personal reflection, our sabbatical program is intended to support our employees’ overall well-being and personal growth.
In this post, we are spotlighting Andrew Yang, a Manager in our Risk & Compliance solution out of Charlotte, NC.
Protiviti: What motivated you to take a sabbatical?
Andrew: I was competing in my first bodybuilding show and as I got deeper into my prep, I realized it was like working another full-time job. My schedule was full from 7:00am-9:00pm almost every day between balancing client work with a strict diet and rigorous training schedule. I figured what better time to take a sabbatical and use it to fully dedicate my attention to the show. I had used the first half of the sabbatical for my prep and the second half to visit my family in Japan who I had not seen since 2019.
Protiviti: Did you have a specific goal you wanted to achieve in your competition?
Andrew: I had a very clear goal in mind, but it wasn’t to win the show. Prepping for this show was a means to pushing my training harder than I ever have before. The only goal I had was to get on stage and do the best I could. I simply wanted to put in the time and work. I competed in the classic physique division where I ended up taking 3rd in the amateur division and 4th in the overall for the professional division. Through this experience, I felt an overwhelming sense of appreciation for my community, between family and friends, who supported me through this process, and all showed up to cheer me on. It was an amazing opportunity to bring my different communities together and share this journey with me.
Protiviti: As you were training, were there any unexpected challenges you faced?
Andrew: I wouldn’t say the challenges themselves were unexpected, but the degree to how hard the challenges turned out to be was. The most challenging aspect was managing my calories. I was definitely “hangry” as I got deeper into prep and consequently, my sleep quality went down and I became increasingly irritable. An important lesson I learned was that training for extreme things like bodybuilding comes with unavoidable sacrifices and the only way to succeed is to accept that sacrifice is a necessary part of the process.
Protiviti: In what ways do you feel you have grown personally from this experience?
Andrew: By far, increasing my mental fortitude. I’ve done plenty of challenging things in my life, whether athletically, academically or professionally, and this was by far one of the hardest. Prepping for my show strengthened my resilience to all variety of challenges.
Protiviti: After the competition, you said you traveled to Japan. How long did you visit for? Did you bring anyone with you?
Andrew: I went for two weeks and brought my girlfriend and two of my close friends from Protiviti. It was a great opportunity to share some of my cultural heritage with friends.
Protiviti: When you came back from your sabbatical, did you notice any changes within yourself?
Andrew: I was honestly shocked to come back feeling refreshed. Stepping away flipped a reset switch and I felt ready to take on new professional challenges again. My desire to pursue my professional goals was certainly bolstered by taking sabbatical.
Protiviti: What advice would you give to someone who is considering taking a sabbatical?
Andrew: My biggest piece is of advice is to take it with intention. Being able to step away from work for an extended period conveniently is not a common opportunity at any point of your life. We’re lucky to have a benefit like this at Protiviti so I encourage others to take sabbatical with a defined goal and take it with purpose.
Andrew Yang’s sabbatical journey, from bodybuilding to exploring his heritage in Japan, epitomizes the transformative power of a well-planned break from work, highlighting how Protiviti’s unique sabbatical benefit can fuel personal growth and professional revitalization. We encourage all Protiviti team members to consider this opportunity not just as time off, but as a chance to enhance their life story and return as more complete individuals, ready for future challenges.
