3 reasons to not retire

We are currently experiencing what known as the silver tsunami. Legal job vacancies“About 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day, and the entire generation is expected to reach retirement age by 2030.” While many individuals plan their entire working lives to eventually retire, there are the reason why complete retirement shouldn’t be a primary goal. Even synonyms for the word retirement sound negative – withdraw, surrender, depart, expire.

For my book, Leading with wisdom: smart advice from 100 experts, I interviewed greater than 100 top experts on leadership and life. A recurring theme in these conversations was the concept complete retirement shouldn’t be anyone’s end goal. These leadership experts argued that after we retire from our day job, we must always turn to a special form of work – something meaningful, purposeful, and focused.

Here are the highest three reasons to not retire.

1. Retirement is an outdated term.

In 1935, the Social Security Act was passed, setting 65 because the official retirement age. This was at a time when the common life expectancy for men was about 61 and for girls 65. Life expectancy for men is about 74 and for girls about 80. Based on his research, Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT Age Lab, says that retiring at 65 gives us about one other 8,000 days — so principally 21 years — to work out what we wish to do with our lives.

In a 2019 article on ForbesCoughlin concludes: “8,000 days is also about the same amount of time from birth to the legal drinking age – 21. Put another way, “life between age 21 and what many would call midlife of their late 40s is one other 8,000 days. And from midlife to the seemingly predetermined retirement age of 65 is about one other 8,000 days.” He says the standard retirement is one-third of an individual’s adult life.

2. Midlife is a brand new phase of life.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has affected life expectancy, we’re still living longer and healthier. Chip Conley writes in his latest book Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Life Gets Better with Age, defines midlife as ages 35 to 75—or 40 years of enjoyment. Conley reminds us that it isn’t about living longer, but as an alternative we’re entering a brand new phase of life that we call “middle life.”. Similar to puberty, Midlife is a time when our bodies and identities are undergoing just as much change as they did during our teenage years – physically, hormonally and emotionally. It’s essential to grasp these changes so we do not make mistakes which are normally attributed to a midlife crisis.

3. Connection is protection.

For most individuals, the workplace is the place where they socialize. When people leave the workplace, they often feel disconnected. The US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and creator of Together: The healing power of human connections in a sometimes lonely world, said: “When people are socially isolated… the increased risk of premature death associated with social isolation is comparable to that of daily smoking – and may even be greater than the risk associated with obesity.”

A more recent Report of the Surgeon General The study, titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” notes that loneliness was already an epidemic before COVID-19. The consequences of feeling isolated are devastating: “a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia in older adults.”

What should one do?

Don’t withdraw from life. Think of life after work as one other phase of life. Discover, explore and experiment. Find the rationale or purpose that helps you stand up within the morning. If you’ve a 3rd of your life left, dream about how you desire to spend that point and make something occur.

Redefining aging. Becca Levy, Professor on the Yale School of Public Health found that individuals who change their attitudes toward aging from negative to positive live 7.5 years longer. Think of aging as a time when you’ll be able to make a difference on the planet through a second profession, part-time work, volunteering, and even becoming an entrepreneur. Today, the common age of entrepreneurs is 42.

Find latest ways to remain relevant and engaged. When people feel isolated and lonely, they often feel irrelevant and invisible. Join organizations and clubs. Become a mentor and share your knowledge with others. Being curious goes a good distance in giving your life latest meaning.

You haven’t got to know what you desire to do for the subsequent 8,000 days. But determining methods to make the most of this prolonged period of life takes time and thought. Think now about how you desire to live a meaningful life – with intention and purpose – and without ever having to retire.