To ask if anyone else over 50 isn't desperate to retire

I am 59 and retiring next month . I am quite ambivalent towards it , I didn't plan to go but through restructuring I have no interest in the job offered . I am so pleased I can afford it as opposed to be forced into a job I don't want .

I think there are so many factors. I have a very pressurised job, it’s rewarding, but frequent long hours, weekend working, travel and cancelled plans. I’m in my 40s and after 20 years I’m tired and want time to do other things, see family and friends more, have the headspace for creative pursuits, volunteer and have an exercise routine.

I’ve loved my career but am burnt out and absolutely could not continue at this pace into my sixties. I can see that if I had a pleasant, relatively stress free job with regular hours I might feel differently. It sounds as if you have a good work life balance OP, but not all jobs allow that.

Mid 50s here and just started a new career!! Love it, though would not have the energy /inclination to work full time

Defo not rushing to retire - I love my job. Would like to be able to go part-time at some point, but we’ll see. I like the structure of work, my colleagues, keeping brain active, etc.

I’m 60 and plan to reduce to 4 days in the next 5 years, then 3 days until my retirement age of 67, after that hopefully 2 days in current job or some consultancy work
I enjoy what I do, love the people I work with and want to keep my brain active

I’m sure you can think of much worse things than retiring …….like your family dying……like you getting a terminal illness…….fucking ridiculous thing to say ……and yet you felt the need to say it twice in one post 🙄

Being 50 and being 60 is not like the difference between 40 and 50 ( which is minimal)…..and that’s even if you consider yourself fit and healthy

Past retirement age here and still working happily.

I am 60 and unfortunately have serious health issues that make it really difficult to work FT anymore. So, I have been able to go part time and think for me it's the best of both worlds where I have plenty of time to rest and take holidays but also the money coming in to do it (as well as renovating my house slowly). I like the mental stimulation I get from work too, and even though I WFH, enjoy my colleagues especially mentoring the more junior ones.

I’m 52 and have no plans to retire. I don’t think I have enough hobbies!

I'm 60 and working full time now in demanding role. I enjoy the stimulation and challenge of my work but it is tiring and I will want to slow down or reduce hours at some point. I have plans in place to be able to retire in 5 years so I'm going to up my contributions to my pension, savings and mortgage to max those out. Im lucky with me pensions so should be comfortable, But that doesn't mean I will fully retire at 65 - I just want the option to do so. At the moment all my friends still work so I don't feel like I'm missing out - but that might become less true as time goes on. I don't have clear plans for retirement but I know I will want to be busy and keep learning - maybe on creative things. I'm not a sit around and do nothing kind of person and I don't want to be de-skilled!

For me (51) it's not so much about retiring as living life differently. I want to pursue the things that I feel strongly about (nature protection/ restoration, environmental campaigning) rather than doing my desk job for the next 10-15 years. I like my job and I'm good enough at it, great colleagues, well respected etc but I feel like I'm wasting precious years of my life doing it. I've been funnelling every penny I can into pensions - plan is to do that until I'm 55 max and then make a change.

I'm 60 and could have written your OP especially this bit: If I had endless leisure time I'd probably waste it on Mumsnet and napping rather than crafting and hiking in the Alps. 😄

But there is a part of me that longs for a bit of freedom...

It's a nice dilemma to have.

I'll retire as soon as I can afford to! It's a long way off for me though. I do think it's important to fill your time once retired. Caring for grandkids, volunteering, doing hobbies etc

no one looks back at their life and wishes they’d worked more!!

@Huckleberries73 Plenty of people look back at their life and wish they had greater financial security, which could have been achieved through working

I think it's important to have a balanced approach

I’m 60 but if I could still do my job at 65 I would love to! It keeps my brain active (often have to type up Case Studies) and gives a nice structure to the day.

Two friends I have are aged 73 - the one who appears younger is the one who is still working part-time. My retired friend visits lots of garden centres and spends a lot of time at home despite having a couple of hobbies and going on regular holidays.

I am mid 50s and I could see myself transitioning from a business oriented role to a more creative one.

I quite like the idea of being mistress of my own destiny a bit more rather than fitting into corporate expectations.

62 and working FT. Can't afford to retire but would be happy to keep working PT indefinitely as long as I can. I do think I need some external structure and scheduling apart from the money. Will not be sorry to stop FT though.

I’m 60 this August. I like working BUT I’m tired of it after 44 years (left School in 1980, started work at 15 in a factory sewing zips in jeans. Unfortunately I doubt I’ll even be able to retire at 67.

Everyone's different. I hated my job and went part-time in my early 30s! Now a sahm and never want to go back to work if I can avoid it - unless I'm lucky enough to find a job I feel passionate about. My parents didn't retire early but love retirement and some work colleagues (who DID love working) are travelling around the world and not missing work like they'd expected.

But I know other people who feel like you and were still happily working in their 80s.

Do what makes you happy.

I’m 50 and can’t think of anything worse than retiring. I’m planning on stepping up my career for at least the next 10 years and then have in my mind I’ll start to consider retiring at about 65. I honestly can’t think of anything worse than retiring in the foreseeable future

I was very happy to retire. DH stayed on and retired 2 years later, 2 years after that he died of incurable cancer. I would always say do what makes you happy where you can but not even tomorrow is guaranteed so never plan on the basis that you are fit and healthy and have more time. Keep in mind too that whether or not you can continue at work is not entirely up to you. If your only outlet is your job, losing it can be more catastrophic emotionally than if you have other activity options.

I'm 46 and already have plans!

But I will probably aim to retire at 65, if Ill heath doesn't get me first. Otherwise it will be earlier. In my job, most colleagues are tired by 60. We do shift work, all hours, which gets harder as you grow older.

My ExH (50) is a postal worker and it's wrecked his knees so he's leaving to do another job.

So I think it depends on the type of job. Or you try and get a role that suits you better.

I have seen that with DM and my DBs. All retired in their mid/early 50s.

Both my DBs retired at the first opportunity in their early 50s (CS final salary schemes). Both quickly became 'old men'. Eldest is the worst. He has become progressively more right wing and reactionary. He spent his whole working life waiting to retire. Now he is retired and unhappy because he doesn't have an audience for his views (except DM who just nods and says 'that's nice dear').

I don't want to retire, although I might go part time at some point.

I'm not very self motivated, so I suspect if I didn't have the discipline of going to work I'd not do very much at all. Im not keen on travelling- I find it stressful and I'm single, so work gives me some much needed social contact.

I think if I retired I'd just spend a lot of time online and doing housework, which is a bit boring and pointless. Work gives me a structure which I struggle to establish otherwise.