5 Alternatives to Traditional Retirement

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Thanks for highlighting "sabbaticals" as an option to retirement. Many Boomers are actually using the sabbatical experience provided by their employers to create a time out for reflection and a hard look at what they want to do next. Sometimes that turns out to be keeping the job they have! Others look for sabbatical-friendly work environments.
While we maintain a list of workplaces - large companies and small - who offer sabbatical programs, know that the list is growing!
In the future, everyone - not just those facing retirement - will have sabbaticals as part of a "new ways of working." That's our mission.
Thanks again for the good information.

barbara pagano of GA 4:35PM June 08, 2010

I was let go from my job. I went into a decline for a little while, but a few weeks into it, my mother became very ill and over the last year I have had little time to do anything but care for her. I realize that it would have been an almost unbearable stress to try and manage her care and my career. And with distance from that job, I have realized, I don't want to go back into it.
I am starting a small online business. It will never make me rich, but with hard work it will support me and I will be doing something I love. So my "forced retirement" has turned out to be a boon in more ways than one.
My nest egg is smaller, but if I am doing something I love, I won't want to retire so soon. It all works out.

itsathought of OH 3:58PM June 08, 2010

I was downsized in 2008 from a corporate training position that I loved. What seemed like a complete disaster at first turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. With my package and savings, I was able to take several months off, spending my time traveling and soul searching. I decided to go back to school for public relations and corporate communications, since I already had a marketing/training background.
I now enjoy writing freelance for local and regional publications (samples of my writing at www.creativelywired.ca) and consulting for small business. I am also co-authoring a cookbook with my sister.
Jennifer Sproul
Freelance writer, consultant
www.creativelywired.ca

Jennifer Sproul 12:48PM June 08, 2010

At mid-career, I quit my IT job last August to go on sabbatical and haven't looked back. It has been one of the best times of my life, enabling me to travel worldwide to Egypt, Israel, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua and other amazing destinations. In addition, I have meet wonderful new friends, learned new activities, and just have been enjoying life.
I believe more employers should embrace sabbaticals/mini-retirements in order to balance the Corporate lifestyle for their employees. Furthermore, life is too short to not have control over our time and how we spend it. That is one thing we can't get back.
If I can do it, so can you. In addition, I have been blogging about my adventures. Sign up on my blog to follow my experiences and for inspiration - http://sabbaticalscapes.wordpress.com/.
Success to You!
Angela Petitt, MBA

Angela Petitt of TX 12:26PM June 08, 2010

My philosophy has always been to enjoy a little bit of the good stuff along the way, instead of hoarding my chips for the retirement years. Now US News and World Report substantiates my strategy. Take mini retirements along the way to regroup, enjoy, retool and relaunch. I'll be doing this until I no longer have any charge left on my battery!
I lost my media publisher/sales manager position a year ago. I've taken this time (and resources I'd saved for *retirement* to retool myself by taking on-line classes through reputable educational institutions, saturated myself in knowledge of social media platforms, written new songs, learned to cook new cuisine. I've learned new ways to leverage my life's experiences and relationships and I'm ready to get back out and generate revenue for the next sabbatical!

Pam Mark Hall of TN 12:20PM June 08, 2010