Retired at 53

I retired at 53. 

When you retire in your early 50s, people make a lot of assumptions:

• Are you ill? No. 
• Were you downsized? No. 
• Are you really retiring or are you just saying that because you’re going to a competitor and you don’t want your employer to know? No.
• Won’t you get bored? No.
• Are you crazy? No.
• Are you sure about doing this? YES!

The announcement

To answer the questions above as well as the all important “why?” here’s the email I shared with my team, my co-workers, my internal clients and every person in the company who I had formed a relationship with during my years of employment there.

“I want to let everyone know that I’m leaving ABC company – and corporate life — forever!

That’s right, I’ve decided to retire. My last day will be June 4, 2021. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the health issues my loved ones have endured in the past several years — as well as the Covid pandemic — it’s that life is too short. We need to make the most of the time we’re given. 

I plan to do that by spending more time with family and friends, continuing to serve my community as an elected official, focusing on my personal fitness, volunteering for worthwhile organizations, traveling our vast country and amazing world with my husband and son, and enjoying a wide variety of leisure activities that feed my soul such as hiking, reading, swimming, kayaking, gardening and scrapbooking as well as visiting museums, concerts and the theater.

I expect these things will put a bounce in my step and add years to my life. My plan is to spend every waking moment getting as much joy out of life as possible.

I’m thankful I had the opportunity to grow my career here over the past 15 years. And, I’m proud of the work I’ve done and the things our department has achieved.

Most of all, I’m grateful for all the wonderful friends I’ve made while being employed at ABC Company. If you’d like to stay in touch, please link with me on LinkedIn – and my personal email is [email protected], personal cell is 222-000-2222.

While I’m very excited to embark on this next chapter in my life, I wanted to take this moment to wish you – and everyone at ABC Company — the best.”

It’s not you…it’s me

This was the corporate version of a “it’s not you, it’s me” ending. I enjoyed the work, I loved the people. But I didn’t want to spend the next 14 years of my life (until I hit my full retirement age of 67) doing this job – or any job – really. Life is too short. Who knows how many years I have left? 

The responses

Reactions to my letter were both heartwarming and astounding. As people wrote back their congratulations, many said it was great to see someone going out on their own terms and for all the right reasons. Some admitted they wished they could be doing the same thing. Several asked how I was managing to achieve this and if I had any tips for them. 

I found a few comments sad. A few people said things like:

• “What do you plan to do all day? I have no idea what I’d do if I retired.”
• “My spouse and I would drive each other crazy if we both retired.”
• “I’d be so lonely without work.” 
• “I’m afraid to retire because that just leads to decline.”

A key part of any happy retirement is to be running to something, not running from something. It’s even better if you are running to multiple things – not just one. Hobbies, activities and passions are vital as are healthy relationships and plenty of social connections. It’s especially important for some of these activities to involve physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices. 

There’s a whole industry of services to help plan the financial aspects of retirement. There are fewer resources for planning the physical, emotional and practical aspects. That means it’s up to you. And that’s one of the reasons why we’ve started this blog. We want to help fill this gap by compiling the resources that do exist, aggregating ideas and sharing personal experiences to help you thoroughly thrive.

Engage with us! In the comments, share your ideas for a happy retirement or ideas on what you’re doing now to position yourself for a thriving life after work. What resources would be helpful for you?