PLCnovice61,
i'm going to hate retirement, so i'm going to work as long as i can.
james
Hi James, l sort of retired at 51, had 9 months off, got offered a job, that mine closed 18 months later, no work for another 6 years and back saving money for the last 18 months to buy a better yacht, may work for another 18 months, maybe.
I wasn't really planning on going back to work, but money was relatively tight ( not going off on world holidays) and sailing budget very tight so had the opportunity of saving some money so l took it.
I'm getting to it! not going to work if you can afford it, is the best feeling in the world and would suggest to people to retire as early as possible ( for the first 3 months after finnishing work, when walked my dog, l would burst out laughing and say out loud," l don't have to go to work" what a great feeling).
You never know when your health is going to fail. You may spend life/work saving to have a good retirement at 65-67 (in Aust) and never get there. That's why at 51 l took the opportunity, my main fear was setting myself up with assets for a comfortable retirement and never getting there. l was happy to go back for some more work because l had done most of my main goals while l still had good health in the 6 years out of the last 9 that l hadn't worked. Retirement was fantastic and if a job hadn't been offered and a wish for a better boat, l certainly would not have gone back to work.
Ultimately you need to have things in your life which are way way better than going to work. l enjoy work, but not going to work is a 1000% better.
Get some interesting hobbies, charity work or what ever makes you happy (but if working makes you happy, you are in for a lot of pain), as long as it's not going to work.
If you requiring work so you can pay the bills, then of course what l said earlier is no help at all and l wish you luck in your endeavors.
l always liked the saying, " no one on their death bed ever said, man l wish l had spent more time going at work".
Interviews, more than likely they are going to be younger than you, so l would impress on them, you can't get an old head on young shoulders.
I see it now with younger people and thought so myself when l was in my early 30's, l reckoned l new it all, now 60 and know l don't no much at all, apart from not going to work is way better than going to work.