The retirement dilemma seemingly gets new wrinkles on a yearly basis. There are quite a few reasons for this. In previous generations, it was a “good deal” to go into retirement. With decent pensions in place, people would essentially perceive the same salary without having to go to work. What was not to love about that idea? Sadly, people in previous generations typically lived out shorter retirement periods. That’s one of the first reasons not to call it quits.
At 65 in this day and age, it’s completely possible to still have about a third of your life to go. While that’s seemingly great news, it can be much harder to live a decent life if you’re finding it hard to make ends meet. This is one of the biggest reasons people are remaining in the workforce past their 65th birthdays. They fear they haven’t saved up enough to live out a comfortable retirement.
Another reason that was kind of touched upon already is boredom. At the typical retirement age, most people feel well enough to continue “in the grind,” so to speak. Even if they aren’t necessarily in perfect health, the idea of sitting at home with nothing to do is not as appealing. This is one of the oddest reasons not to retire. As mentioned, it’s statistically true that life expectancy was shorter for previous generations. That meant reaching the retirement age without great physical health. However, there are seemingly more things that people could do around their house today that they wouldn’t have been able to in previous years.
Why aren’t more people eager to go into retirement than if they have more entertainment options? It could come down to the idea of “feeling old.” If you’re sitting at home doing nothing, you may have to mentally contend with the reality that your days are coming to an end on a daily basis. That feeling is easier to put off when you’re living a more active lifestyle. It’s a pretty grim concept, but one that many people seem to experience.
Losing your social circle may be another one of the reasons why you won’t want to walk into retirement. Many times, the work environment for people becomes the place where they also socialize. Dependence on work for social interaction actually increases in older age groups. This is because, in most cases, their kids have moved on, so there’s no soccer mom social group or school meetings to attend. This social aspect of work is one that some people, unfortunately, overlook until they face a sad reality once they retire.
All of this doesn’t mean that people are going to be better off working until their last day on Earth. What it actually signals is that retirement is no longer as reclusive as it used to be. One of the best ways to plan for a healthy retirement is to realize that there are many more things that you can potentially lose other than your main income. Therefore, deciding when to call it quits may not just be a decision about money. Although, as with many things in life, it’s part of the decision-making process, for sure.
