Why the Smartest Professionals Are Learning to Pause (ft. author DJ DiDonna)

We're living through one of the fastest periods of workplace transformation in modern history. AI is reshaping jobs, layoffs have become a recurring reality, and many professionals are quietly asking themselves a question they never expected to ask:

Can I keep working like this?

In this episode of FUTUREPROOF., Jeremy Goldman sits down with DJ DiDonna, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and author of BIG TIME OFF, to explore why stepping away from work may become one of the most important career strategies of the AI era.

Drawing on years of research and hundreds of conversations with professionals who have taken extended breaks, DJ argues that sabbaticals aren't simply about recovering from burnout—they're about creating the space to rethink your work, your priorities, and your future before someone else makes that decision for you.

Together, they discuss:

• How AI and rapid technological change are making career reinvention a continuous process. 
• Why layoffs and unexpected career interruptions can become opportunities for reflection instead of just setbacks. 
• The surprising competitive advantage that comes from intentionally creating time to think. 
• How organizations can build cultures that prioritize long-term resilience instead of perpetual exhaustion. 

This isn't just a conversation about taking time off. It's about whether we've built a definition of career success that's no longer fit for the future—and what it might look like to replace it with something more sustainable.