A lot of things come in a mini version and now it looks like retirement might too. Instead of an early retirement, some people are opting for a "mini retirement". The term was coined by Tim Ferris in his book, "The 4-Hour Workweek," and refers to a taking a small break from your career. What you do in that time, and how long that time is, is completely up to you.

As traditional retirement seems to be changing and even going away, the notion of early retirement is pretty much a dream for many people. But working straight through and past traditional retirement age isn't ideal either. A solution for many seems to be a mini retirement. Some people may take a month, others six months, others a year. They may travel the whole time or relocate to one location for that time. The goal is to take enough time away to recharge, to do something meaningful to you, to create a blank slate even.

A mini retirement can help rejuvenate your mind, body and soul better than a week of vacation ever could. It could be the perfect time to think about a second career or grow a side business that you just haven't had the time to focus on. People are increasingly working part-time after retirement, for many reasons, but it can be difficult to find such employment. A mini retirement offers an opportunity to work on skills outside of your career, or additional skills within your career, that would make future part-time employment easier to obtain once you retire.

You could also go a completely different route and pursue a dream you've always had. Maybe you've always wanted to spend some time in Italy, painting the lush hills of Florence during the day, drinking local wine and eating homemade pasta at night. Working sometimes leaves little time for loved ones, so perhaps you want to use your mini retirement to just spend quality time with your family.

It doesn't have to be just one mini retirement, either. You could plan several spaced-out periods, rather than taking one final retirement.

While this all sounds great, it obviously can be a challenge to make it work financially. There are many things to consider and it takes a lot of diligent planning. Mini retirements are catching on with younger generations, especially the Millennials, but it's not too late to start planning yours. Talk to a financial advisor for some advice before you get started.

You're probably curious about people who have actually taken a mini retirement. You're in luck. Read stories from mini-retirees in which they share how they made it possible, why they did it, and where they went. It may give you some inspiration or motivation!