If you have read the bestseller, the “4 hour work-week” then you have probably come across the terms “mini retirements”. When I first saw it in context, it was an eye-opener. for me it questioned everything that my parents had taught me about retirement and how it should work.
We are often programmed to think that we should work as hard as we can while we are younger and then reap the rewards at retirement. The harsh reality however is that this is when we are old and frail and incapable of enjoying the “pot of fools gold” we have created. This for me was what I had accepted as a grim reality passed on to me by my parents. I soon realized that this needn’t be the case. The simple truth is that most people don’t have to wait for retirement to enjoy the things that they could be enjoying right now. Life is meant to be lived continuously….
If you like me are verging on this reality, here are a few advantages of mini retirements and how they can positively affect the way you think about retirement. For this purpose we will assume mini retirements as extended breaks from work or your career. This could be time spent doing something you love whether a holiday, new hobby or sharpening up a skill you haven’t had the time to develop:
A healthier brain
Most people are typically overwhelmed with stress and this can manifest into a physical or mental breakdown. These constant stresses are what constantly results in poor brain health resulting in depressed individuals with weaker minds void of creativity and effective decision making prowess. A mini retirement is therefore a perfect opportunity to allow the brain to think clearly, recuperate and regain its clarity and creative abilities. During your retreat from work, it may help to carry out exercises like mindfulness which you seldom have time for with regular schedules. It also allows you to gain a better perspective of where you are in your life and align it with what your true goals are. More times than not, people often find themselves in a race to a destination they don’t even want – they however so caught up in the buzz that they miss the critical points of re-evaluations and pivoting. Use your mini retirement to get out of this self-made rut.
It conditions your mind for the prospect of retirement
I have personally seen countless retired people from grandparents, parents and older neighbors who have entered retirement being unhappy with sitting around being unproductive members of society. The constant “work-work” lifestyle is what conditioned them to not be able to handle enjoying life free from stress and constant deadlines. The answer quite simply lies in the fact that they have not given themselves the opportunity to taste the finer things in life and so become accustomed to the constant workaholic mentality. Mini retirements therefore help in this regard. It can give you the opportunity to experience how amazing a life free of work really is and to understand that the ultimate goal is not to make money but to have money to do the things you are passionate about.
Mini retirements Make you realize what you really want at retirement and actualize it
If you speak to most people entering retirement they speak of wanting a house at the beach –quiet and peaceful. This however is the generic response that most people often take on. Often because they haven’t made real effort to really find out what they would do with their time if they didn’t need to work again. The dangers of this is that if you reach retirement with this mentality, you will come to the grim realization that your dream retirement isn’t as rosy as you may have imagined. Is it really the beach house you wanted? Do you see yourself fishing the whole day when you don’t even know how to? What would you do with the extra hours in the day. Experiencing days like these with mini retirements can therefore greatly help you realize what it is that truly gives you joy, passion and meaning. This will automatically then be carried over to you at retirement to give you purpose when one of the biggest parts of your life has been taken away i.e. your job. To add to this we have all heard about the law of attraction. Imagining what you want is what will manifest. If you don’t know what this is how is it to manifest? Therefore mini retirements help to fill this gap allowing you to gain clear insight into what you want in life and at retirement.
Helps you to think and make better financial decision about retirement
If there’s one think mini retirements can teach you, its how to save for retirement. I have seen countless retired people making guesses about how much they would need for retirement. They often make one mistake though! They fail to factor in that retirement is the time you spend the most on doing the things you love. Going on mini retirement thus gives you a glimpse of how expensive the things you love doing cost. You can then factor it in your savings and retirement plans making your more prepared for what is to come.
I hope this article helps you realize the importance of mini retirements and how it can help you gain perspective about retirement. Don’t follow the herd and be disappointed when you reach retirement. Change your mindset now and reap the benefits! You don’t have to wait for retirement to really start living.
If you still looking for some positive uplifting, check out: The best triggers to switch off negative thoughts anxiety
If you find the brain astonishing like me, check out: 12 great facts about how the brain uses food and 10 interesting facts about the biological structure of the brain
If you are still unfortunately a long way from retirement, then this might bring a smile to your face: 5 signs that you may be smarter than your boss
To learn how to fully achieve success in all facets of your life, read: Applying A Growth Mindset To Achieve Success
