3 Reasons Not To Retire

Forbes ^ | 3rd June 2024 | JanFreedre

[Cronos]

We are living through what is being called the silver tsunami. According to Legal Jobs, “about 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, and the entire generation is expected to reach retirement age by 2030.” While many people spend their working years aiming to eventually retire, there are reasons why complete retirement should not be a primary goal.

For my book, Leading with Wisdom: Sage Advice from 100 Experts, I interviewed more than 100 top authorities about leadership and life. A recurring theme during these conversations was the idea that complete and total retirement should not be anyone’s end goal.

1. Retirement is an antiquated term. The Social Security Act was passed in 1935, establishing 65 as the official retirement age. This was set at a time when the average life expectancy was about 61 years old for men and 65 for women. Life expectancy for men is around 74 and for women it is about 80. Based on his research, MIT Age Lab Director Joseph Coughlin says that retiring at age 65 gives us about another 8,000 days—basically 21 years—to figure out what to do with our lives.

2. Midlife Is A New Life Phase.

3. Connection Is Protection.

For most people, workplaces are where they get their social interaction

..What Should You Do?

Don’t retire from life. Reframe aging Find new ways to stay relevant and engaged.

[FLT-bird]

I know I’m in the minority in thinking this way, but I hope to never retire. I like working. I like the staying busy, having a purpose, having problems to solve/challenges to meet. I like getting a paycheck too. I suppose if you just hate what you do it might be one thing, but I like the work I do.

[central_va]

I hunt and fish at the local Kroger.

[Big Giant Head]

I can hunt and fish, if necessary, and I can kill and clean if needed.

But my passions lie elsewhere. The absolute joy in playing music with my best friend, with my wife running our sound system, my son on bass, is the light of my week. Always look forward to all the laughing and joking both onstage and off. Most fun I’ve ever had, and I used to do it for a living.

[af_vet_1981]

I wonder if they would give that advice to roofers?

Sure, and at an even earlier age: they transition to framers, but those who did not do well at spelling become farmers.

“Don’t retire from life. Reframe aging Find new ways to stay relevant and engaged.”

[sauropod]

bkmk

[Tell It Right]

For me, retirement is a financial number not an age number. I will be at that number at 57, but not going to leave the work force until I am 60.

Same here. I too plan to retire in a few years at 57 or 58. But I won’t sit around. I told my wife that I’ll probably volunteer at church a lot more than we already do, and maybe pick up gig temp software work here and there to keep my mind fresh.

[MayflowerMadam]

“I’m retired for 9 years now. Busier than ever keeping up the place. As far as social life goes, it’s much better than when I worked with a bunch of phony wannabe professionals.”

Sixteen years for me, and 11 for Hubby. Seems like every week we ask, “How did we get things done when we worked?” We are SO busy! Of course, some of that busy-ness has to do with medical stuff.

And I can’t even imagine spending nine hours a day in a workplace today, considering the PC crap that goes on. It was bad enough 15 years ago — torture, actually. (I worked in H.R.)

[Big Red Badger]

Fascinating Chart!
.
I’ve reinvented my self several times and having retired 3 yrs ago I’m answering the questions of LIFE!
Who Am I?
Why am i Here ?
Where am I going?
.
I’m very ‘Engaged” with Life.

[Skooz]

Bite me.

I can’t wait to retire.

[Cronos]

I think more in terms of moving on from the work grind to having a regular schedule doing something you like and WANT to do

[Cronos]

That’s inspiring. How did you do it? I would guess building/finding a community was part of it?

[maddog55]

I retired at 62.. earlier than I expected to but work wasn’t fun or enjoyable anymore. I traveled worldwide for DoD but I was with some awesome people. Near the end my time home was miserable and I hated going to work. Hated the majority of people especially so called upper management and definitely didn’t need the social interaction.

The final straw was a mandatory reassignment to clean up the mess in another department. Not my problem so the day I was reassigned I dropped my retirement papers. Payback so to speak.

Never been happier.... Been called a few times over the past 7 years and even did some consulting work for the old job but on my terms only.

Retirement is awesome.

[Baldwin77]

<< "Biggest observation, divorced three years ago, I've noted women my age and they remind me of my parents, not my peers. Definitely understand and increasingly appreciate why men find younger women." . >>

I've noticed old men are so attractive. /NOT. You think men your age (including yourself) are still attractive? Looks is a great excuse for old men to go foolishly chasing after young women? There's only one reason why a pretty young female would be with an ugly, wrinkled old man, and it isn't because she finds him good looking.

Maybe those "unattractive" , "old", gals you think are old hags now are perfectly happy with the way they are. Tired of the mating game, they are living the life THEY want to live now.

Did you ever think that that the 63 y/o man who looks years beyond his age maybe worked 2 jobs for 30 years to put food on the table for his family and raised 5 God and American-loving children? Maybe the 65 y/o woman who doesn't quite meet your acceptable "looks" standards worked 12 hour shifts as a nurse, on her feet all day, seeing people suffer and hurting day after day for 40 years. Maybe they are tired. Maybe they earned the right to not look their best when you see them.

[AppyPappy]

The nice thing about Retirement is that you can always go back to work. I retired in January but postponed SS in case I get a job.

[SisterK]

I wonder if they would give that advice to roofers?

no kidding
we can't all have desk jobs

[wny]

we are nearing retirement. we are in fine shape. however we decided to travel and enjoy ourselves before they take everything we have.

[6ppc]

11.5 years for me. How did I ever have time to work? I shoot benchrest and from the middle of March until early November my wife and I are on the road dragging our camper to shoots. GA, NC, PA, MO so far this year. Back to MO in 3 weeks, MI in August, NC AND GA in September, then Phoenix end of October. All winter I’ll be busy getting ready for next year, chambering barrels and making bullets.

[MPJackal]

Retirement, the best job I’ve ever had. Love it.

[Dan in Wichita]

I retired from the rat race 4.5 years ago and I love it.

Among other things, I stay really busy with my coin website I built after retiring.

[metmom]

We’re busier now that we are semi-retired than we ever were.

Keeping busy is crucial. And we don’t have any shortage of things to do.