Several years ago I tried retirement. It didn’t stick, and I guess I am not alone. Twenty-five years ago only about one worker in 10 planned to stay in the workforce beyond age 65. Today, that number has risen to over 50%. According to the 16th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey, 82% of 60-somethings expect to or are already working past age 65.
For my parents’ and grandparents’ generations, it was all about working your butt off until you were 65 then getting your gold watch and retiring. For many it was the final chapter of the American Dream — it was their endgame.
When I retired I had plenty to do. I spent time oil painting, playing golf and hiking in the mountains of Colorado. Yet, I thought to myself, can I really do this for 20 or 30 years? I felt there had to be more. It couldn’t be my endgame.
Like many others of my generation, I was not ready to stop working. I felt I still had something to contribute. I wanted to stay engaged and involved — my work was not done.
Perhaps the best thing that came from my work sabbatical was the time it gave me to seriously consider what I wanted my new work chapter to look like.
The term “work-life balance” seems a bit overused, but in the end that was a big part of what I wanted. Other items on my list included:
- Work from home.
- Make a difference.
- Travel a moderate amount.
- Have flexible work hours.
- Work with people I like.
- Have fun.
So, I unretired. Today, I am working with a great team at WAHVE and get to help retiring insurance professionals extend their professional careers. I fully understand and relate to their issues — I have been there. I can assure you that retirement at 65 does not need to be your end game. Let’s work together to retire the concept of retirement age. What is your endgame?
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