My Exploration of the 30 Day Retirement

For the last month I have been deep into a mini retirement. Stepping in to what it would actually feel like if I stepped away from my full time job. It’s been eye opening that’s for sure. Both with the freedom to tap into some quiet time , not having to get up at the crack of dawn and slowing down from the hustle of work.

It took the first 2 weeks to decompress to some extent though I’m sure a full recovery will take much longer. My blood pressure dropped, the daily headaches disappeared and I actually had bandwidth to think about aspects of my own life, rather than my head being so full of work that I couldn’t think of anything else.

I’ve spent most of the month just thinking about what I want for myself and with my 60th birthday fast approaching, the moment is here to pull the pin now that I have enough saved to fund my life. Both my superannuation and small savings pool have given me the runway to enjoy a different kind of life. It’s not a grand amount, but enough for a modest lifestyle by my standards. That also gives me back a fair chunk of free time.

But here’s the thing…. What comes to the surface is uncertainty of change which steps into my brain as fear and I need to unpack that because it holds me frozen in my thoughts. It’s my biggest weakness. I think too much. I know though that the cure is action, to get moving and put one step in front of the other. If I build a different kind of life I can mould it without the need to earn a dollar to fund it. What does a life look like when work is optional?

I’ve finally reached my “enough figure” and now I’m focussed on the value of “time”. I’ve been grappling with how to focus on actually being in alignment with it and understanding that is why I have been feeling out of sorts for the longest time. I just started getting annoyed with myself and I know that Micah, my partner must be too. I talk about building a new life ALL….THE…TIME . It’s time to stop thinking and get into the action of doing. Getting back every day to fill it with purpose, people, health and personal growth.

I’ve been blessed with a job that provided me with a good income and always had a plan to work to 65, but a recent heart scare which gave me a fright reminded me that I’m not invincible and my ability to bounce back is not what it once was. No exercise for years and my work sitting for the last 10 years seated at a desk. I shouldn’t be surprised that I was ripe for all the age related illnesses that can rear their head in our stage of life. Living in snipers alley so to speak, and all lifestyle related.

Can I undo the damage? There’s only one way to find out.

So what would retirement look like?

This is what I’ve figured out would be a good starting point for me.

Daily health: 6-9: walking in the morning with Toast to start moving again. Quality breakfast full of protein to start the day and personal time to quiet my mind. Personal care and plenty of water.

Purpose: 9-1: of meaningful work each day. Whether that is writing, filming the journey and building a small business to keep engaged with the outside world with people I enjoy the company of. 1 - 2 days a week of work if it popped up but only if it’s aligned with my life.

Personal Growth: Spending time in the kitchen and the garden creating a beautiful space to live in. The house deserves some love and my own desire to live a more healthful life deserves focus. I know what to do, years in the gym in my previous life, culinary trained with no excuses. Hundreds of cookbooks with enough cooking equipment to sink a ship.

People: Spending the evening with Micah, the boys and my community, engaged rather than exhausted, providing great food for the table, conversation and the freedom that a lifetime of saving have given me to enjoy the value of time.

These are the good years and I don’t want to miss a thing.

And so this new chapter of my life begins after my final few weeks of my full time job and I finally get to feel like what it is to be in my full time life. The gift to myself of lots of time to experience all that I’ve worked so hard to experience.

2026 is going to be a great year.