Far from Retiring (Nor Am I Shy)

A post-birthday post about my busy life and why I’m not retiring any time soon, despite reaching 55


My friend Diana’s career had been in accountancy, and she is a brilliant budgeter. After I’d reeled off this list, she looked at me calmly and said: “You’re doing too much. When do you ever sleep? Go home and have a rest. Take the rest of today off.”

As I drove home trying to stop my eyes crossing from sleep deprivation, I realised that she was absolutely right.


When I got home to find a letter from the insurance company asking me whether I was ready to take my retirement payout, now that I’d hit 55, or whether I wanted to defer, there was only one realistic choice. I phoned them straight away.


“Please defer the policy,” I told them. “I shan’t be retiring any time soon.”


We agreed they’d review the policy each year from now on, and be in touch this time next year to ask whether I’m ready to retire.


But I think I already know the answer.


If you enjoyed this birthday post, you may also like these from my archive:


The Only Certainty in Life: Birthdays and Taxes (on my mum’s 80th birthday)


There’s No Time Like the (Birthday) Present (on discovering the elixir of immortality – allegedly)


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Filed under: nostalgia, work Tagged: impact of technology on working, retirement, retirement age, work life balance, working from home

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Published on January 25, 2015 10:22
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