There’s a new career trend emerging among millennials: mini-retirement. A mini-retirement can offer a much-needed break from the daily grind and aid in reorienting one’s career. Three individuals who have embraced mini-retirement shared their experiences of stepping away from their careers.
Florence Poirel dedicated over ten years to advancing in the corporate world at Google, reaching the position of senior program manager. “I was promoted every two years,” Poirel recalls. However, despite her professional success, the 37-year-old began to feel unfulfilled. “I was showing signs of work-related stress and questioning what I was doing with my job and my life in general,” she told Business Insider. In light of this, Poirel opted for a year-and-a-half mini-retirement last year.
Poirel’s unorthodox career choice reflects a growing trend among millennials who are looking for alternatives to the conventional career path. Many no longer aspire to cram all their work into their young adult years and relax only in retirement. Rather than racing towards early retirement, as seen with the FIRE movement—short for “financial independence, retire early”—Poirel and others in her sphere are opting to pause their careers, aiming to return to work with renewed purpose and enjoyment.
Rethinking Retirement
What constitutes a mini-retirement? Jillian Johnsrud, a career coach specializing in financial independence, describes it as “any time someone takes a month or longer away from the 9-to-5 to focus on something that’s significant to them.” The interpretation of mini-retirement can vary, but it typically signifies a break from the routine of continuous 9-to-5 employment until traditional retirement.
At 41, Johnsrud has experienced 12 mini-retirements, with her most recent being a month dedicated to learning tango dancing. Following her departure from Google, Poirel has emphasized reconnecting with friends and family, while still engaging in professional activities during her mini-retirement. She is also providing career coaching and assisting a friend’s startup.
Brian Li, who spent nearly two decades crafting a successful career at various startups, decided to take a mini-retirement at 42. Although he intends to return to work next month after a year-long career break, he did not spend this time idly. With a plan to read books and enroll in courses, Li also pursued several unconventional opportunities, including working on an election campaign, honing cooking skills in Japan, and taking on independent consulting projects.
This mini-retirement afforded Li the freedom to discover creative talents and learn in ways that a traditional job couldn’t facilitate. “I made a concerted effort to go meet people and say, ‘Hey, here are the things I want to learn, here’s where I want to develop myself. Do you need help?'” he stated. “I was an apprentice, and so there were no boundaries for me to show up at work and say, ‘I got to do the things that I’m getting paid to do.’
A Chance to Redirect Your Career
People opt for mini-retirements for varied reasons. As millennials progress into their second or third decade in the workforce, they often revisit their career trajectories. Some seek a balance between their careers and family responsibilities, making mini-retirement a particularly appealing option for clients of Johnsrud.
A mini-retirement doesn’t necessarily stem from burnout, although many express that sentiment. It can serve as an opportunity to redefine professional lives and create more satisfying career paths. At Google, Poirel experienced diminishing motivation and increasing work-related stress. She views her mini-retirement as a way to shift her career from corporate goals. “Obviously there are ups and downs to that,” Poirel noted regarding workplace stress. After months of dissatisfaction, she took it as a sign to step back.
When her mini-retirement wraps up in September, Poirel intends to seek a position with a company focused on sustainability, aligning with her values. “I am not interested at all in climbing the ladder anymore. Higher job titles imply more responsibilities, more stress, and that’s not something I want to pursue,” she remarked.
Li’s professional priorities have evolved over time. He acknowledges that while he has gained significant experience in the startup environment, he is now looking to broaden his skill set for the next phase of his career. “The boxes that I’m checking now are fundamentally different than the boxes that I was checking before my career break,” he explained.
Seizing the Moment
Mini-retirees often reject the idea of postponing enjoyment until age sixty. That notion is particularly pertinent for Poirel, whose partner is 17 years her senior. “When I’m 60, he’s going to be 77. That doesn’t sound appealing to me,” she stated. Earlier in her mini-retirement, she spent a month with family, a rare opportunity since her student days.
Having young children can also motivate the decision to take a mini-retirement. This was true for Johnsrud, who once engaged in a 10-week road trip across national parks with her children. “I thought, if we didn’t do this now, I can’t do this trip in 20 years,” she said. “There’s no way 20 and 30-year-olds would take 10 weeks out of their lives for a camper trip with me.” For Li, his mini-retirement allowed him time to cherish moments with his newborn daughter, prioritizing family over the demands of a startup.
“There are certain seasons in our lives that if we don’t do the thing now, it’ll pass us by. It won’t sit on the shelf until we’re 65,” Johnsrud noted.
