I’m at a funny age – again – it seems. This year has seen a high in the number of people I know that have retired. Brothers, friends, ex-colleagues are all in the process of swapping their daily commute for a life on the golf course or watching Homes Under The Hammer.
All these people are in their 50s. With current life expectancy levels, that means that most will have another 35 or more years left to perfect their putting technique or learn how much a two-bedroom terrace house in Llanelli can be rented out for – per calendar month!
Personally, I have no intention of retiring. As another friend said to me this week, “You know so much more now than you did 10 years ago. Imagine how even more helpful you can be in another 10 years!“
I understand that people get tired, jaded and simply worn down if they do a job too long. Retirement must seem like a great escape.
But, I believe that the answer is renewal and reinvention, not retirement. Reaching your 50s should not mean that you’re ‘over the hill’ in terms of your career, but that you’re ready for a new mountain to climb. Bruce Springsteen, 70, has just produced his best album in years, while Peter Drucker, the legendary management writer, was 76 when he wrote Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
So, in a world where many of us will be living into our 90s and beyond, what steps are you taking now to renew and reinvent yourself so that you can stay at the top of your game, achieve even more and enjoy a fulfilling life whatever your age?
Off The Record: Young At Heart by Jimmy Durante
Written by Johnny Richards and Carolyn Leigh in 1953, Young At Heart has been covered by many singers, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé, but Jimmy Durante’s sung/spoken version is my favourite…..
And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive
And here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart
© Stuart Cross 2019. All rights reserved.