2829: [Part 2] Five Big Reasons to Retire Often by Jillian Johnsrud on Lifestyle Design for Happiness

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Optimal Finance Daily 5 Big Reasons to Retire Often, Part 2 by Jillian Johnsrud of Jillianjohnzrew.com

[00:00:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm your host and personal finance enthusiasts, Dianomarium. Thanks so much for joining today!

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Now if you haven't done so already, be sure to listen to yesterday's episode first.

[00:00:22] [SPEAKER_00]: But if you're all caught up, then let's get right back into it and here are part 2 as we continue optimizing your life.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_00]: 5 Big Reasons To Retire Often Part 2 by Jillian Johnsrud of Jillianjohnzrew.com

[00:00:42] [SPEAKER_00]: 4. Improve Your Health This year, I decided to take a hiatus from my business, which for me meant working about five hours a week instead of my normal 15

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I had two big goals for the year with my extra time and attention. First, finish up as many house renovation projects as possible

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_00]: And I took that permission and went down a deep rabbit hole of landscape design and permaculture.

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Over the summer, I could have been mistaken for a landscaper. My other big goal was my health. The pandemic knocked me off course.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_00]: It was especially hard on my mental health, but it also affected my fitness, nutrition and stress management.

[00:01:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Instead of thoughtful and intentional, all things health-related felt disorganized and reactionary.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_00]: I had made small attempts to get things back on track with little success, so this was my year to clear the decks and focus on my health.

[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_00]: First up was getting out of my very cloudy area of Montana for the winter. We came up with a plan to try to be snowbirds.

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Then I found a group of health and fitness friends to share the journey with. I paid for a health tracking app. I hired a personal trainer and nutritionist.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I read a hundred plus articles about nutrition and mental health. My psychiatrist recommended I try a low inflammation diet.

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_00]: So I reduced my high inflammation foods and activities and added in a bunch of low inflammation foods and activities.

[00:02:16] [SPEAKER_00]: A funny thing happens when you give yourself time, energy and resources towards just a few goals. And you get all the support and help you need. You make progress.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, I think we should all try for our best health while working our jobs. But it's legit hard.

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes we just don't have the bandwidth to take on big changes in our lives on top of everything else.

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Many of my coaching clients want to focus on improving their health while on their mini retirement. They want to get eight hours of sleep.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_00]: They want to reduce their stress hormones and start meditating or doing breath work.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Spending time outdoors and with people they care about is part of their mental health.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Someone a specific fitness routine and some just want more movement than they had at a desk job.

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Taking a walk after breakfast or gardening.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_00]: For most people when they have more time and fewer demands on them, it's easier to cook the food you want to be eating and feel more thoughtful with nutrition.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Many retirements can also be essential for helping relieve burnout.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_00]: It's so hard to recover from burnout while in the situation that created burnout.

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_00]: It takes time, rest and space.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_00]: It takes new healthy routines with lots of active rest activities.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00]: I've worked with clients who are trying to recover from burnout while still at the job that burn them out.

[00:03:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And you can make a little bit of progress with better boundaries, more self care and taking other commitments off your plate.

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_00]: But honestly it might take two to three years of being very intentional to make the progress you can make in three to four months of a mini retirement.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Focusing on your health is great to squeeze in where you can.

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_00]: But if you want to make a big change or lots of changes, it's helpful to have some extra time and mental space to tackle that.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_00]: This year gave me the opportunity to start testing ideas of how to optimize my mental health as much as possible.

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00]: There's a very good chance that my bipolar will be degenerative as I age.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm trying everything I can to keep my mental health in peak condition to hopefully delay or prevent that decline.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_00]: It took some trial and error, but I think I found a set of habits that will support my overall health and mental health to the best of my ability

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_00]: and set me on the best trajectory possible to be just as strong and healthy at 50 as I am today.

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And number five, new professional growth.

[00:04:51] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to share two coaching clients who are in this boat.

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_00]: One, let's call Rachel, has been in her professional field for a while.

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_00]: She's good at her job, well compensate it, and she likes it all right.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_00]: But there's that curiosity of, is this what I want to do for the next 20 years?

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_00]: But every time a job ended, she rushed to make sure the next one was lined up.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Part of her mini retirement is taking the time to explore what else might be out there.

[00:05:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Is there something that also fits her skill set, education and interest?

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Is there something better?

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe it's a big change or maybe it's a small pivot.

[00:05:29] [SPEAKER_00]: But this time, she's taking six months to really explore that.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, a mini retirement can serve a few functions.

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_00]: There were some trips with family and friends.

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_00]: There were some decluttering projects.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_00]: But there was also rest and recovery from a little bit of burnout that had snuffed out some of her creativity.

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Now it's time to research and explore what her next professional chapter should look like.

[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_00]: I have another client who will call Tom.

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Tom never really felt like the nine to five corporate world was the best fit for him.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_00]: He always wondered if maybe he could do something different, create something on his own.

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_00]: So he created a bit of financial runway to be able to take off six to 12 months and he's going to try to scale up his own business.

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Now only does he want the chance to succeed but he doesn't want the regret of never really trying.

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_00]: And always wondering if he could have done something different.

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_00]: What if there's something else out there for you professionally?

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_00]: It can be tricky to really explore and pursue those things when life and work are already so full.

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Even having the creativity and mental space to really think about it is tough when you're a bit burned out.

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_00]: A mini retirement can give yourself three to 12 months to rest, explore and start to test and scale something new.

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Why retire often?

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_00]: When I talk about retiring often, people are generally confused by the idea.

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Why would you retire more than once?

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Why not just push through for 40 straight years and then take the next 30 off?

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_00]: There are a hundred benefits to retiring often, and honestly the non-stop career path has some fatal flaws.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: But the biggest reason to retire often, it will make your life better.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_00]: It gives you a fighting chance to improve every area of life that matters to you, spanning across every decade.

[00:07:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Your whole life, in its width and its depth can improve.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Plus it's just more fun this way.

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listen to part two of the post titled Five Big Reasons to Retire Often by Julian Johnsrewd

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_00]: of Julianjonsrew.com and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Bilo-sell-high.

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Bilo-sell-high.

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a simple concept, but not necessarily an easy concept.

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Right now, high interest rates have crushed the real estate market.

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Prices are falling and properties are available at a discount, which means fund rise

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_00]: believes now is the time to expand the fund rise flagship funds billion dollar real estate portfolio.

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_00]: You can add the fund rise flagship fund to your portfolio in minutes by visiting fundrise.com-oft.

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_00]: That's F-U-N-D-R-I-S-E.com-slash-oft.

[00:08:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the fund rise flagship fund before investing.

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_00]: This and other information can be found in the funds prospectus at fundrise.com-oft.

[00:08:47] [SPEAKER_00]: This is a paid advertisement.

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_00]: I really enjoyed this article, and I think Julian makes a compelling argument for taking a mini-retirement or sabbatical.

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_00]: I will add a word of caution here though.

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's important to impose some structure and goals during this time.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I've learned from experience that it is possible to have too much time on your hands.

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you aren't careful, it can be easy to waste time in a way that isn't restful or restorative and that's harmful to your mental health.

[00:09:19] [SPEAKER_00]: It takes a lot of intrinsic motivation to be productive when you have fewer external demands.

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_00]: What I'm trying to say is that if you're a procrastinator like me, more time can sometimes be a bad thing.

[00:09:32] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you're not careful, it can be a wasted opportunity.

[00:09:36] [SPEAKER_00]: The absence of deadlines and goals can result in a lack of motivation, making it difficult to accomplish even simple tasks.

[00:09:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Over time, this can lead to a backlog of responsibilities creating additional stress.

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_00]: So, figure out a daily routine that is perhaps less demanding than you've had in the past,

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_00]: but still provide some structure and accomplishment.

[00:10:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Just because you aren't working in the traditional sense,

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_00]: doesn't necessarily mean that you're resting or experiencing the benefits of a mini-retirement.

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_00]: But that's going to do it for today.

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks so much for tuning in and listening every day.

[00:10:15] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'll see you tomorrow for more optimal finance daily, where your optimal life awaits.