Is retirement an option for you? Are you facing a decision due to mandatory or an early retirement offer from your employer? Have you reached that milestone point in terms of tenure or age?
“Retirement” is really a word only used in financial terms now – you are eligible by either age or time in your job/profession. Whenever people adamantly say, I’m retired, I don’t do anything.” I generally find they are doing the things they always wanted to do. But because they aren’t getting paid for it, they call it “nothing.”
Most people don’t think this is a tough question. They are enthusiastically counting the days and minutes to the moment they can walk out the door the last time. For others of us, we are absorbed with our work. It has become who we are both as a person and as a professional and what we want to do with our days. Leaving the job would be like cutting off oxygen. “I really like what I do and can’t imagine doing anything else.” We have become comfortable with the structure, people and challenges the work setting provides. We don’t know what we would do without these.
Many people begin “encore” careers, or develop creative interests through writing, painting, music, etc., or generously volunteer to help others. Starting a new business after age 60 is common.
Many organizations are offering more flexibility to prevent the brain drain that the boomers are believed to be creating. Reduced hours, part-time status or contracting back to the company for a project or for mentoring others are common.