Are you mid-50s? Do you still work full time?

[elsaandanna]

I'm the only woman I know of my age who works full time.

Admittedly I have a small circle of people I know and none of them have glamorous or high flying careers.

I'm a childminder so I'm busy long days, 5 days a week. Can't drop a day as I'd lose income. The parents that need childcare 5 days a week because they work full time are much younger than me.

you wake up in the morning and can't be bothered getting out of bed so you don't have to!

I think this sounds dangerous to many people's health. I think that push to get out of bed in the morning is important. It's when you start thinking "I don't have to get up" that things start to go wrong. If I wasn't employed, I think it would be really important to have regular commitments to get up for.

Depends on how often that happens. If it's every now and again because you've had a late night or are not feeling well, or didn't sleep well, then it's brilliant that you don't need to set the alarm. If it creeps up to every day then I can see how people might start on the slippery slope to getting up late morning then slobbing around.

I’m mid fifties with a pre-teen. I’m part time, but doing more hours than I used to. I am employed and also self employed and finding this suits me better. I don’t have as much of a commute as I used to and am doing less stressful jobs, but earning more. My mum was 75 when she retired.

@CurlyhairedAssassin I do know what you mean. I outsource nothing, but I have had a lot of bereavements in the last few years so do try and make the most of every day. Death seems too close not to.

"Sirian
People are giving up their lives in their mid fifties? Jesus I don’t feel anywhere near retirement age! You’re making yourself old before your time.

"Giving up their lives"? Are you serious? 😂You missed the word "working" from in front of "lives". Do you really think that people's whole lives are defined by their job? In my view, life is what happens OUTSIDE of a job. And a job gets in the way of a lot of it!"

We're mid 50's and just at the end of a month long lovely holiday. Not making ourselves old before our time, just enjoying life!

I still work FT at 54. I'll stop at 65 which is the retirement age in my country. Can't afford to work PT though I would very much like to.

Yes I'm almost 57 and work FT in a secondary school. Would love to drop a day but DD goes to university next year and will need some financial support so I can't drop any days yet. Would love to drop to 4 days. When she's finished, if we can afford to, I'll do that. I wouldn't want to stop completely, I like my job.

I don't understand this mindset at all. Why is not working full time on the 'scrapheap'? That's just ageist crap. People who work part time don't all sit at home in their slippers, nor do all retired people. I work full time but a couple of my friends (60 ish) work 3/4 days a week and have a bloody brilliant life. Work is what they do to fund the rest of the week's activities.

People are giving up their lives in their mid fifties? Jesus I don’t feel anywhere near retirement age! You’re making yourself old before your time.
My dad took retirement at 55 which was 27 years ago. Absolutely did not make him old. Him and mum are absolutely loving life. Me and siblings had all left home by then so they were off having fun. Long may continue!!

Can't understand the 'giving up your life' posts.

Paid work is just that. It has no profound meaning. I have a 'career' rather than a 'job' but I am not curing cancer or world poverty. No one will remember me in 50 years time and I don't want to be working until I die. There is more to life and as I get older I am even more aware that life is passing me by. Having enough money to fund my remaining years means I can make that choice to stop paid work very soon and I cannot wait. I don't need lots of money and the saying you can't take it with you is so true.

I find the idea of retiring to be akin to the scrapheap and giving up your life really odd. It's the opposite in my mind as I see it as a reclaiming of life and choice rather than being a wage slave with no freedom to do what you want. I can't wait and wish I could retire sooner.

Paid work is just that. It has no profound meaning. I have a 'career' rather than a 'job' but I am not curing cancer or world poverty.

I'm a scientist, I'm currently working on a disease that has no treatment. I DO have a job that has a profound meaning on people's lives. Just because you have a job that you feel is meaningless doesn't mean that everyone feels the same about their job.

Exactly. My job is also meaningful. I would do it unpaid if I won the lottery. Some people have a clock on clock out mentality.

I am a few weeks from being 57 years old, I work full-time, and enjoy the stimulation I get from my role and adore working from home.

All being well, I would hope to continue full-time hours until state retirement then reduce to 3 days a week.

Interesting thread for me as I’m a few years behind, in my mid 40s. I work part time (30hrs pw), I have 2 children in high school and 1 in primary. By the time my youngest is old enough to get themselves to and from school I will be nearly 50 and can’t imagine wanting to go full time at that point. It’s not as if I’ve got loads of hobbies that I want to pursue, it’s just keeping up with the washing/cleaning/life admin! I just can’t imagine how I would do everything (single parent), although I know others manage it somehow.

Yes, I work 45 hours most weeks plus I’m studying what is a full time course. I’ll have to work until 68, 15 years to go.

I’m looking for a new job atm. I’m senior public sector, want a change of scene and trying for civil service jobs at the same level (need to maintain my income level).

I’d hope to be able to drop to four days a week at 62.

I'm 48, work full time, and am going for a big promotion at work. I'm at the pinnacle of my career and certainly still hope to be doing it in only seven years' time and to be able to retire very comfortably in my 60s. Of course we never know what health or other life curve balls may come our way. Not counting any chickens but I'm going for it. I worked part time between the ages of 30 and 45.

I worked FT in education until I retired at 66 two years ago

I'm 56 and still work full time as a senior lecturer. No plans to retire until 63. Sitting around at home, penny pinching, doesn't appeal to me.

I'm 58 , thought I'd retire after COVID lockdown but got bored so went back . I like my job though and if that changes I'll leave . All my friends still work so I'm not alone .

I work more than ever and have no plans to retire.

I (teacher) and many of my friends of the same age worked full time until 60. Being single parents may have had something to do with it. I then worked 0.8 until 67 and at 70, work approx. 0.4. Work is pretty much my hobby and I’ve been lucky enough to find a job I really enjoy.

She wasn't saying that though, she was saying that's how she feels about her job, because she's not actually doing a job like yours. That was kind of her point.

She wasn't saying that though, she was saying that's how she feels about her job, because she's not actually doing a job like yours. That was kind of her point.

Thanks @TitaniasAss that's exactly what I meant but I guess others thought I was criticising their work and desire to work beyond when they could retire.

My job is interesting but I won't be changing the world. I have 'enough' so will retire next year as I want the time for me which I cannot buy and which my job takes away.

This is interesting to read. I'm 58, was a single parent for 10 years (now have a grown up ds) and changed career in the middle of that. Then changed back to my previous employer as I got into a very toxic workplace.

I've dreamed of 'retiring' for years. What I think I need is a few months off, to rest and find my mojo before picking up work again. But I think I'd like less challenging work than I do now (work in education - not a teacher) or even start my own small business. I can't see myself ever giving up 'work' entirely as I like to be busy but what I want is to have more time to do the stuff I want to do. But I still need an income.

I think it's interesting to hear so many feel knackered. I do too, and also have lost the very strong ambition I had even 5 years ago. Maybe that toxic workplace took it out of me, maybe being a single parent for so long or maybe it's menopause. Whatever, I'd like a bit of my mojo back!!