How to Take a Microretirement [Guide to Strategic Career Breaks]

Career Success

Feb 12

Burnout is real, no matter how much you love your job. I love writing and blogging, but even I get burnt out doing that sometimes. That’s why I’m a fan of a newer concept called microretirement. It’s similar to a sabbatical and involves taking a chunk of time away from work to focus on you.

Instead of waiting until you’re 60 to retire when you might not be able to do some of the things you’d like, you can do it now by taking a microretirement while you’re young.

What Is a Microretirement?

A microretirement is essentially a sabbatical's cooler, more flexible cousin. It’s a chunk of time you take away from work to travel, try a side hustle, do a mind-numbing part-time job, learn to paint, or whatever your thing is. The whole point is you focus on you.

Unlike traditional retirement where you wait until your 60s to enjoy life, microretirement involves taking strategic breaks during your career when you're young enough to fully embrace new experiences.

Think of it as pressing the pause button on your career for a meaningful period – it could be several months or even a year. During this time, you focus entirely on personal growth, travel, or pursuing interests that your regular work schedule doesn't accommodate.

I wouldn’t confuse this with an extended vacation or YoLo-ing. That’s not what this is about. It’s about personal growth and pursuing your interests.

It also doesn’t mean that you don’t work. You might work part-time at a coffee shop during microretirement. But it’s not a career-focused time.

How Is It Different from a Traditional Sabbatical?

While traditional sabbaticals often have specific academic or professional development goals, microretirement is more about personal rejuvenation and life exploration. It's not about "looking good on paper" – it's about giving yourself permission to step back and reassess.

How to Take a Microretirement

Microretirement works best with non-traditional models of employment like freelancing or contract work. That’s no secret.

It also takes a decent chunk of money to do, so it’s not something I would recommend doing willy-nilly or on-the-fly. It’s something you want to plan for and save for.

Things I would ask myself when preparing to take a microretirement include: