Tag Archives: sabbatical

10 ideas for a Mini-Retirement lasting 6 months to 2 years

Working a nine-to-five routine can be draining. The practice of taking time away from work for an extended period of time has become increasingly popular among employees. This “mini-retirement” can help professionals recharge and provide a much-needed break from a strenuous daily routine.

Although you may not be planning on taking a mini-retirement, brainstorming ideas of what you’d want to achieve during this period may help you align your purpose and goals within your professional career.

Below, we asked 10 thought leaders to share their ideas for things to enjoy during a mini-retirement.

Explore a new industry

Leave your normal career to explore investing or real estate. Choose something that you might not have the chance to focus on while working full time as a great way to spend a mini-retirement. Diving into topics that you are interested in and really taking the time to research and learn more about these topics could prove to make you money in the long run. – Rex Murphey, Montauk Services

Do something Book Worthy

My barometer for doing anything is considering whether the endeavor is worthy of a book. If I had six to 24 months to do anything, I’d first think about what the topic or title of the book would be. Then, I’d outline the table of contents. After the outline, I’d live out each chapter idea to the extent that I could fill the pages about the desired topic. That framework could be applied to any retirement idea from “The Ultimate Guide To Tapas in Spain” to “Everything To Know About Making a Documentary In a Third World Country.” But, as long as the mini-retirement idea is book-worthy, then I’m guaranteeing myself that the topic is deep enough to keep me continuously engaged and satisfied. — Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

Pursue knowledge

I love learning but due to my hectic work schedule, I usually don’t find time to study. So I’d want to learn and focus on self-development during my mini-retirement. I’d want to apply for a scholarship to fund my postgraduate program. Other than that, I’d want to learn new languages and travel. Maybe I’d go abroad for studies as it’ll give me a chance to travel as well. — William Taylor, VelvetJobs

Take an extended Holiday

Plan a holiday that you have been waiting for. This could be to a domestic location or an international destination. Make sure your finances are sorted and that the holiday fits into your current budget. Set aside enough money to last during this time, then take some time to focus on getting your career back up before the mini-retirement is over. — Joe Flanagan, GetSongbpm

Take a Road Trip in an RV

Retirement would lead to a few exciting travel options. The most exciting would be buying a Cruise America refurbished RV and traveling the United States.  Pack and unpack once for a journey of a lifetime and stay as long as you want in each location.  I think a one year trip around North America would be one of the most bucket list items one could experience and imagine all the amazing places you could visit and the memories that would be created. — Randall Smalley, Cruise America

Switch to freelance or part-time Work

A good way to do this is to either freelance or work as a consultant on a part-time basis. The main benefit of doing this is that, in most fields of work, you’re able to do this online. This means you’ll be able to work from wherever you wish to enjoy life for some time. Whether it be a beach in southeast Asia or in an RV around Europe, working in this way gives you the flexibility to enjoy your time off from full-time work. It also lets you choose just which assignments to accept during this period, allowing you to work as much or as little as you want. Is your budget running a bit low? Maybe it’s time to ramp up your hours. Alternatively, are you about to go off the grid for some time? Close your laptop and off you go. — Anna Barker, LogicalDollar

Revisit your childhood interests

I would dust off my childhood fantasies about what I liked to do. One recurring theme on the Rock Your Retirement podcast is that many of us are not prepared mentally for retirement. We need to have a purpose in life. Continue Reading…