Ever wonder what retirement or early retirement looks like? Are you able to take a sabbatical or extended leave to try it out? I have an opportunity right now and let me tell you what I think about it. The government is shutdown and I am a furloughed federal employee. At the time of writing this, it’s been more than 3 weeks that I’ve been furloughed. I’m using this time to see how early retirement would feel like with how I would spend my time, what activities I experience, and how I would mentally adjust to this lifestyle. I’m hoping previewing early retirement will give me insight into what early retirement looks and feel like.

Time, by far, is the most significant aspect I’ve gained during this early retirement opportunity. Time has also been the initiating factor for making everything else happen. For example, I’ve been able to

• Get more sleep
• Feel more rested
• Get more exercise
• Make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the family
• Attend kids school functions
• Schedule appointments easily
• Spend more time with the family
• Take care of the “honey to-do” list
• Say “sorry” less for not being able to be there
• Feel less stressed

My financial independence journey has been preparing me for this and it is something I absolutely look forward to. If this is what early retirement is going to be, I’m ALL IN! As I mentioned above, time is what you ultimately gain back. Instead of spending your time fighting traffic, going to a job you don’t desire, working overtime, working on weekends, and taking you away from your family, getting your time back can resolve all of this.

In order to feel comfortable retiring early, you have to have a financial foundation that can support this. Without it, you won’t be able to consider early retirement. Things that I’ve done to build my financial foundation include:

• Saving
• Investing in the stock market
• Investing in real estate
• Building multiple sources of income
• Spending less
• Consuming less
• Eliminating debt
• Travel hacking

My experience with this early retirement preview is an absolute positive one. I can’t wait till I reach financial independence retire early (FIRE). This is a goal I am looking forward to and with all the financial decisions I’ve made, the foundation I built will support my early retirement goals. If you are interested in following my journey, email subscribe here to get alerts of latest posts or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.