And I say until you can’t wait to leave your work, until you know that what you’re running toward is something you’re super excited about, you’re not ready to jump. There should be no anxiety or hesitation before you cut those ties, especially if those ties can’t be easily re-spliced. If your current job does not provide you with a future, why not look for a different situation rather than retire? (And why be concerned about the age of your co-workers? I don’t get that.)
This does not sound like a recipe for happiness to me. If timing is truly the only issue, then you have no problem. If you are harboring concerns about what retirement will look like for you, then I think you still have some work to do before leaving your desk. There is no prize for retiring on someone else’s timetable. When retirement feels like an opportunity you can embrace rather than an empty space you are obligated to fill, you will know you are closer to ready. Those long years ahead need to be about much more than survival.
Really, it’s the people who aren’t on these retirement threads who might have the best advice for those hesitant about leaving the work force. They’re the ones who’ve figured out how to reinvent themselves in the work world to continue doing something they love. Retiring without knowing what that will look like for you or being insecure in your identity as a retiree is a precarious place to be.
You posted some time back:
What’s your plan if you hate it? What will you pivot to?