I am way beyond the magic number that is generally considered retirement age. People often ask me why I keep working. There is no single answer to that question. You may want to consider the following ideas when planning your own retirement:
1. Satisfaction – I love my job and my clients! Whether I’m providing therapy, writing articles, or teaching seminars, I look forward to every workday. My clients challenge me to help them develop strategies to improve their lives and also to keep me informed about the changes they are experiencing in society. Milton Garland, who was the oldest worker in America when he was 102, said, “First you find a job. Then you get good at it, and then when you’re good at it, you don’t want to quit.” “.
2. Work-life balance: In addition to traveling (when we are not in a pandemic), I enjoy reading, cooking, playing basket online, and talking with friends and family. Fortunately, I have been able to do all of these things while building my career. Retirement for me would mean having an extra thirty or forty hours a week and I’m not sure how I would fill it when I can already do everything I want to do.
3. Share and Invest: Over the years I have had the opportunity to study at the graduate level and gain experience working with more than 8,000 clients. I believe that when we have been blessed, we should give back to others. Sometimes I do this using my skills, but I also have the option of giving more financially to good causes due to my income.
4. Life expectancy – My family has a history of long lives and although I have no idea how long I will live, I really don’t want to retire now and possibly will regret it years in the future.
5. Health: You need to be in good physical and mental health to work, but work can also improve your physical and mental health. My health is good and I am grateful to be able to continue working. Having a purpose gives a reason to get up in the morning, get dressed, interact with others, and experience achievement. At the end of the day you are “very tired” and can enjoy “a few shekels to tinkle”.
6. Options: many people have several options about what they do. Now that I have a government pension, I can reduce my clients’ working hours and choose how I will provide services. During the pandemic, for example, I was working from home. Some employees may work part-time, while others retire from their careers and then start new jobs or begin volunteering.
The concept of retirement is very different from my grandfather’s days, where a person would be with a company for thirty-five years and then receive a gold watch at the age of sixty-five.
Each of us has to consider the above and wisely determine when and how we will create and approach a personalized retirement!
