Originally Posted by
Dave Cutter
Advise and criticism from friends and family is how we keep our perspective.
I retired early. I had always appreciated the idea of the freedom of a planned retirement. If at 55 you haven't figured out the direction you plan on taking... maybe you never will. Most people work until their health fails and they can no longer work.
"I wish I would have worked more." - what no one utters on their death bed.
The founder and executive directory of my company recently retired. I believe he was in his 70's. He's a vital guy and my guess is that he won't disappear entirely. He'll end up serving on the board or in some advisory capacity. I understand why it was tough for him to leave, but IMHO you shouldn't be spending your last 10 to 20 years of good health working a 9 to 5 job.
My mom was in apparent perfect health at 70, osteoporosis set in not long after and she died at 80. She spent most of her time in the last 6 years in bed.
People are different though. Some peoples' health declines once they retire and they lose the daily social interaction and purpose that they enjoyed at work. So don't retire without a plan that keeps you engaged in life.