Mini-Retirements: Retire Often, Not Just Early | E177 Jillian Johnsrud

We’re all waiting for the day we hit financial independence. That’s when we’ll finally quit our jobs and have time to learn a new hobby, start that house project, take longer vacations, or prioritize our health.

You probably have a list of things you’re saving for after FI—but what if you don’t want to wait another decade to start? Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. The challenge is that your career eats up most of your time and energy, and since you’re not financially independent yet, walking away isn’t an option.

But what if you didn’t have to choose between all work now and all freedom later? What if you could work for a few years, take a break, then return to work—and repeat that cycle? Instead of one long career followed by one long retirement, what if you took mini-retirements along the way?

It’s not just a theory—today’s guest has done it. Jillian Johnsrud has taken over a dozen mini-retirements throughout her life and now helps others do the same.

In this episode, Jillian shares how to organize your time off, why some employers actually say yes to these breaks, and how a mini-retirement might even improve your career. She also provides examples of how mini-retirements speed up, rather than slow down, people’s path to FI.

Mini-retirements are one of my favorite concepts—I’ve taken one myself, and I always encourage my friends to consider them too.

So today, I’m making the case to you: maybe it’s better to retire often than to retire once.

Key Takeaways:

• What a Mini-Retirement Actually Looks Like
• How to Plan a Mini-Retirement with Purpose
• A framework for organizing your mini-retirement using Jillian’s “Dream To-Do List”
• Signs It’s Time to Step Away
• How to Talk to Your Employer About Taking Time Off
• Why some employers say yes to mini-retirements—and how to make your case
• Tips for framing the request in a way that shows mutual benefit
• Making the Financial Trade-Off Worth It
• Surprising ways mini-retirements can actually improve your career or lead to new income opportunities.
• Why “Retire Often” Might Be Better Than “Retire Once”

More of Jillian:

Read Retire Often: https://lnk.to/retireoften

More of FI Minded:

Connect with Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinleepeters/