Wondering if you can Retire Early? Simplify Semi-Retirement: Plan for it the 4-Hour Workweek Way

If you’re questioning whether or not it’s possible to retire early, you’re not alone.

As I was talking to my financial advisor Sara this morning, whose been focusing on this topic quite a bit lately on her Linked In messaging, it reiterated my decision to emphasize the value of understanding your financial needs (specifically how much money you actually need each month) in setting up a life of professional freedom.

So many of us GenXers (and those younger wanting to be free BY 50) are overwhelmed by a sense of need to enjoy every moment possible and determine a way to leave the 9-5. But money is the key to that right?

I've referenced it repeatedly throughout my blog. And highlighted it as a step in escaping the 9-5 when I wrote my cornerstone post about how my layoff was a blessing.

Disclosure: As a blogger, I use affiliate links sometimes! I may receive commission from purchases I share, but it does not change your price.

The 4-Hour Workweek led me to where I am: becoming a blogger and making passive income my long-term goal. I wrote a whole blog post dedicated to insights from the book. Read it here.

Note: I updated this post July, 2022. It was originally published in March, 2021.

Maybe the answer lies in your definition of retirement.

Is it truly about retirement as we’ve always understood it to be defined or is it about getting out of the stress corporate life drips constantly like a leaky faucet into our daily life?

Retirement sounds GREAT but the reality is maybe it’s about being productive, but not having to ask for time off if you need to care for a loved one or have the opportunity to do something on your bucket list.

Maybe your definition includes doing what you love, not what you “have” to do.
So: what do you want to retire from?

Becoming semi-retired is easy actually--- reading the 4-Hour Workweek and organizing how you can use your skills to earn income and own your time is simplifying the process.

First of all, is the idea of retirement based on emotion or a full understanding of what you really want? For me, after reading the 4-Hour Workweek and having my personal a-ha moment, it was about earning income in a way that allows me flexibility to spend less time working in the traditional sense and having the ability to own my time.

Oh – and for me: not be forced to wear men’s style shirts that come in “small, medium, or large,” have a logo, and do not fit most of us women. LOL I’m just being honest.
Seriously though, I believe that we can throw the notion of “retirement” out the window and focus on enjoying life.

Simplifying semi-retirement. Eliminating the notion of retirement as a deadline or a date somewhere down the line.

You can earn income, do things you love, and feel like you’re retired.

So how do you eliminate the notion of retirement as we GenX types know it?

Income doesn’t just fall at your feet. It doesn’t just deposit itself into your bank account. You have to work for it. I’ve been doing so for a lot of months and still have yet to reach the holy grail: passive income earned just from writing.

But here’s the thing about doing what you love and on your schedule, being able to pivot your tasks, set priorities and deadlines for yourself (and with a coach of course!): the work is fun. Mostly.

I will admit there’s a huge learning curve for me to get to income through writing. A lot of this I mentioned in my post about my layoff being a blessing and many other posts. All of these are aimed at giving you tools and shortcuts and sharing experiences and knowledge of guest authors like Dr. Clarissa Castillo-Ramsey who talks about how she painted her path to freedom or Victoria J. Watson who shares her a-ha moments and trip out of the 9-5 and into a location-independent lifestyle.

Meet my coach Tegan Marshall and grab her course! Use code: Free At 50 for a discount.

How can you learn more and take action towards semi-retirement?

Stick with FreeAt50!

I’ll continue to share information from experts, from people who have driven down the road of professional freedom and from my own experience.

In fact, check out all of articles on here with actions for you to implement and move forward with in your quest to ditch corporate life for good, and simplify semi-retirement.

First, subscribe to FreeAt50!

Join my Ditching the 9-5 Facebook group.

Download my 6-Step Checklist to Escape the 9-5.

Purchase my 3-2-1 Take Action offer - start with booking a call!

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