The question of whether to continue working in some form beyond ‘retirement’ can be an important consideration.
For some, it will provide a degree of financial security amid economic uncertainty or bolster savings to fund the likelihood of increasing longevity.
For others, the driver might be more about utilising their skills and experience, keeping their mind engaged, maintaining existing networks or simply being busy. Work may serve as a way of maintaining a sense of place in the world. It may be a way of avoiding the changes that retirement can represent.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, an article in The Sydney Morning Herald reported more than half of all workers added in Sydney since the onset of the pandemic were aged over 55 – a phenomenon labelled ‘The great un-retirement’, attributed to strong demand for labour and more flexible employment options available.
The good news is we live in an era where retirement can be re-defined. The tricky part may be determining what opportunities exist, the type of work you want to do in the years ahead – paid or voluntary, as well as the nature, hours and location of the work. There’s a lot to consider and there’s the reality check; would you be working just to fill your days or will you be using your time in a way that is meaningful – to you?
I encourage you to consider the broadest range of possibilities.
In this lifetime what else have you dreamt of doing? What else do you want to experience? What else do you want to achieve? What skills do you have that could be of benefit to others? What would give you a renewed sense of purpose?
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