In my 20’s, I was let go from a job. Kinda. Or I… a little bit left. My position was being combined with another position, one I had no interest in nor the skill set to tackle. Either way, I was unexpectedly unemployed. It’s a situation most people find themselves in at one point or another. And as typical, it was stressful and a bit sad. Bumming around the house, applying for jobs, trying to get caught up on housework but generally feeling uninspired. 

That could have been the whole situation for me. Except this concept of mini-retirements had been swirling around in my head for so long. So instead of moping about week after week, I felt ready-ish to take action. 

Since adopting our oldest son from foster care, who was then 13, we had done a few trips. A big Florida road trip with beaches and theme parks. Some camping trips to Shenandoah National Forest. And many trips to the coast of Maryland. But living in the DC area, we hadn’t made it to Montana and Glacier National Park. It was something I was desperate to show him, but the airline tickets were expensive, and we never had a good reason to go. 

Gaps in employment are a perfect opportunity for an impromptu mini-retirement if you can find the right headspace. I had my concerns, “What if someone wants to interview me, and I’m gone?” “What if I miss out on a job?” “What if I spend this money, and then it takes forever to find a new job?” But I was also prepared. We had paid off our debt by this point and were saving 50% of our income, which meant we could live on one income for a while. 

Looking back at all our mini-retirements, I don’t regret any of them. In hindsight, all of them were pivotal to our personal growth, business, passive income, and our relationships. But this one holds a special spot in my heart. Partly because it was the mini-retirement I was most scared about. I had the most hesitation and excuses not to go. But sharing Glacier National Park, the place that was so special to me with our son, is a memory I can never replace. 

How to Pack

Life presents unexpected opportunities to take a step back from the 9-5 to focus on what matters to you. The key to realizing those opportunities is to be ready for them. I think about it like a Go Bag. 

If you have ever watched NCIS, or probably any crime drama, the agents for NCIS have a Go Bag. It’s a small duffle bag that contains a few changes of clothes, toiletries, and anything else they might need for an unexpected trip. When they need to leave at a moment’s notice, they grab the bag and are off to catch their flight. 

When it comes to mini-retirements, there are a few things you can have ready so that at a moment’s notice, you are ready to seize this unexpected opportunity. There was a new round of layoffs in the news recently. One article I saw mentioned how a married couple was both laid off while one of them was still on maternity leave with their four-month-old baby. Undoubtedly that adds to the stress and grief of losing a job. But knowing how magical a mini-retirement can be, a little part of me was excited for this couple. They will each receive four months of severance pay and six months of healthcare as part of the layoff. Being able to have at least four months together with their newborn might be an incredible blessing when they look back on it. If you’re mentally, emotionally, and financially prepared, these hardships can be transformed into something beautiful. Here are ways you can prepare. 

Cash. Especially during a gap between jobs, you will want to have the money set aside ahead of time. When you find an unplanned career break on your hands, it’s a hard time to start saving to make this mini-retirement happen. Your cash bucket is also the easiest to fill when starting out. Save up to cover your baseline expenses for the time off, plus a little extra to go towards the things you plan to do during your break. 

Plans. Finding yourself on an unexpected work break can be a little disorienting. It can be incredibly difficult to pivot from discouragement, anger, and confusion of getting laid off. When you feel stuck in those emotions, it’s hard to creatively dream and imagine an incredible adventure.  It’s helpful if you have done the process of imagining how you want to organize that mini-retirement before it happens. You can use my free 10-day intentional living course to come up with lots of ideas, goals, and dreams that would be perfect for tackling in a mini-retirement. Make a note of ones that would be perfect to do over a 1-2 month timeframe and on short notice.  The more you have thought about what you want to do with this time, the more confident you’ll feel embarking on this adventure. 

Confidence. Over the last 20 years, three of our seven mini-retirements were short (less than three months) and unexpected. We didn’t plan for a year in advance; instead, a life event happened (miscarriage, unemployment, and an adoption/rental purchase). These things are just part of life. They can be times of stress, uncertainty and pain. But they can also be moments for joy, healing, and progress. 

By having a logistical plan and the savings to do it, you’ll be halfway there. The other element is choosing to take action and lean into joy during hard times. Over time, mini-retirement after mini-retirement, you’ll see how life-changing they are. You’ll have confidence in the process. After creating space and being intentional about what you plant, you’ll see how things flourish. The first two mini-retirements were full of doubt. It’s okay to be a little scared or unsure. Confidence and clarity come in doing. 

You Never Know

I should have had a hundred opportunities to take Micah to Glacier National Park. About six years later, my husband and I moved to a town just outside the park. We would have gone into the park every holiday when he visited. 

A few months after we moved back to Montana, Micah passed away without warning. That trip to Glacier was the only one we ever had together. 

I had so many reasons not to take that trip. I stressed about it. I tried to talk myself out of it. I worried about taking a short break from work. All of those things I worried about, do you think I care one tiny bit about them now? No. 

A hundred times over, I would take that trip. Of all the family trips we had with Micah, that one was the most joyful. That’s the trip we still talk about. 

Life can be unpredictably fragile and short. You just never know. You never know if you’ll have a hundred other chances to experience your dream, or perhaps this is the last chance for that dream. Life changes, health changes, and circumstances change, frequently without any warning.

Save the money, make a plan, and when the opportunity arises, grab your go bag. And go.