Yes Richard Branson turned 65 last July and now spends most of his time working on not-for-profit initiatives. Ditto for Bill Gates at 60. Warren Buffett at 85 still goes to work daily at Berkshire Hathaway and has no plans to retire.
It is no coincidence that most of the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs continue to work well after they need to. They don’t see it as work so there is nothing to retire from. As Branson recently tweeted,
The idea of retiring now just seems like such a waste of everything I’ve learned.
So if we didn’t have the good fortune to find this passion in our working careers retirement is the perfect opportunity to reinvent ourselves in our next chapter.
There are many potential benefits when considering work past retirement age.
- financial benefits
- staying mentally and physically healthy
- maintaining social connections
- continued sense of purpose
- daily structure
Now imagine those benefits doing something that you are truly passionate about. Your career to date was about making a living. Why not make your next career about leaving a legacy. After all it is not about what you are retiring from it is about what you are retiring to. Make it amazing!
As President of Your Future Reimagined (YFR) Coaching and Consulting, I help professionals/executives successfully transition to enjoyable and enriching retirements. mkennedy@yourfuturereimagined.com