So it seems that I’m not the only one in my circle of family and friends who decided to retire early.
It must be a “thing” now.
Chatting with them, the main reason for retiring early are mainly related to changes in their job circumstance.
Others I spoke to who are still working, have all expressed their desire to stop but can’t due to family or financial obligations. All of them don’t like the work they are currently doing, actively looking for other employment in the same area (with little luck I may add) while some have simply gone on “autopilot” in their job (“quietly quitting”) until something in their job situation forces them to take action.
So for people who are in their 50s, it seems that many of them are waiting for some “situation” in their work that is the catalyst to get them to move. (Now, I can say that I’ve only spoken with women. My instinct tells me that it may be different with men?)
In all of the cases when I spoke with these women, they were either quite happy (tolerating) to continue working (as they had no other certain idea of what to do in their life: start a business? Return to study? Look after grandkids? Learn a new skill?) however what prompted it was always a change in their job situation where they were forced out.
In my situation, I hadn’t planned to leave work for another five years. I saw that what I was doing in the area of social learning and community was important but it wasn’t seen this way in a tech company. So I left out of my own accord because I felt that my skills and knowledge weren’t the right fit for that particular company and I was tired of having to continually explain the value of my work to my peers and leadership – and to client organisations.
However it was only after I left the company, I began to see the value of what I was espousing after so many years in the corporate world. Why? Well, people who were in their 50s now, (mainly women) started seeking me out and asking me questions about what they could do for the next phase of life post-work.
I had spent my life exploring activities outside my work life: travelling, learning, volunteering, working casual jobs, writing, creating films, learning skills like knitting that now, it seemed interesting. I was being asked to help them plan what they could be doing or exploring in their post-work life.
All of a sudden Activate Learning Solutions came activating Learning for people my age who are still young enough to be in work but instead want to refocus their time to blend in with leisure, work and volunteer opportunities or whatever they want to do but who may not know what – or how – to do it.
So it’s got me thinking about this again.
Maybe Activate Learning isn’t dead.
Maybe it’s morphing to a new audience? 🤔One who is now ready, open to learn, to take in, to explore and most of all, motivated. An audience of wonderful people who have given their work lives over to companies and who now realise that with their kids grown, that their job situation where they may have felt unacknowledged, or even bored with it and who have decided it was time to look after themselves and not others.
It got me thinking that I could offer consulting services here and be able to work with a handful of people offering advice as well as my tools that I had developed over the years for corporate teams (who were never really about lifelong learning) to individuals who are in their 50-65 (pre-retirees).
One thing is for sure though. I will not go onto social media and use it to promote my services or build it into a business.
In fact, I like it to be a “word of mouth” business that I can pick and choose my clients more of a side business that I can slot around my days.
It’s what I’ve been mulling over these last few months but I’ve deliberately not made any moves or actions to get it going because I still believe that I’m in my “honeymoon” period in my post-work life. The time where I have ro set aside my feelings and thoughts about work – what’s wrong with work nowadays – and explore projects, leisure interests and activities to fill my day.
My realisation was that I had been doing this already for most of my working life: choosing learning and exploring over having kids, building a business and now, there may be an opportunity to create a side interest that also pays a bit. Maybe for my entire life, I was doing the very thing that people need to know, learn and explore now in their post-work life? 🤔
Maybe now is the time I get serious about making helping others learn my work?
Let me stew on that some more. There is time. There is still much for me to learn myself. When the time is right, I’ll jump into action and start to “spread the word” to my friends and networks; my local library and council. One step at a time.
(One of the things I’m also doing is I’ve got an idea for a book along the same lines. I’ve started hand writing the main points but I don’t want to share it here in case anyone steals the idea. If it pans out, I’ll write it all out. If not, that’s okay. What I’d really love is to write the book in the form of a story – an allegory. Something a bit Dostoyevskian. However, my talent doesn’t extend that far – unless I do a Creative Writing course first. 🤔
As someone diving deep into REWIREment, I can’t believe I did not give myself the space to do this earlier. And learning is still at the forefront!
Thanks Nancy!! Learning is so important. Im currently thinking what’s next for me with regards to a new skill.
Oh by the way, I love the rewirement in place of retirement. 🤣
“Rewiring”
Very interesting idea. You are striking a chord with this post.
Yeah speaking to a few others about the same topic, we all agree!
I retired early also, isn’t it great!
Let’s just say I’m enjoying it immensely and cannot contemplate ever going back to the corporate business world because every day that I’m out of it, I realise that I don’t want to be in it. I completely don’t resonate with it anymore.
Helen! I’ve actually been wondering about you a bit (and wondering what you were up to…since I don’t ever see you on social media anymore since you quit it). I came here from one of my own blog posts as I’m doing a bit of a long overdue BLOG OVERHAUL….and in the process fell into a massive rabbit hole reading old posts circa 2013-2015 (which you feature prominently in!!).
PLEEEAASE don’t close down your blog! Not only will lots of crosslinks from my blog to your blog break if you do, which will make me sad. BUT…I won’t get to find out what you’re up to these days if you do. (Which will definitely make me sadder). I have such fond memories of us exploring ideas via each others’ blogs (and I’ve actually been thinking about how the current breakdown of public social media sites might result in a revival of the ‘good old days’ of long form reflection on personal blogs)
Really interesting to hear that you DID in fact end up retiring from work early and the reasons why. The sentiments that you express in this post echo a lot of what I’ve been seeing, hearing and also personally reflecting on too. I’ve always had a dream of retiring early – or at least totally rethinking work or working less or differently – since I moved out of Sydney. It’s been 5 years now and I don’t feel like I’m that much closer to making that dream happen (albeit A LOT has happened in the last 5 years).
Still…no one’s getting any younger. And as you say, I definitely think the last 3 years of Covid + climate & natural disasters + world wars has created a general search for greater purpose and meaning by pretty much everyone, everywhere. But yes – particularly women of all ages and in all situations – mainly because we have, in general, carried most of the impact of the last 3 years.
It’s certainly something I’m pondering in far greater depth than I have previously – with a view of NOT simply just sliding back into a pre-Covid routine with work and life. I think your idea is GREAT by the way. Women – and especially those in the age group you’ve described – are absolutely some of the most under-rated and under utilised talent in the ‘labour market’. Mainly because HR and recruitment is pretty much broken, systemic age and gender discrimination etc. Using your considerable skills and experience to create, build, support and nurture a community of like-minded and talented women to create their own businesses, communities, and work is a brilliant idea. Looking forward to seeing how this might develop and evolve once you’re ready (and might be keen to be part of it too….depending on what I end up doing with work and life!!! I’ll be watching and visiting here often).
Oh wow, hello Tanya! What a blast from the past. I was sitting here practising my ukulele for the last hour and in my own world then thought “let’s check the blog!” Sure enough, I saw your response. It’s exactly what you mentioned about reassessing and reevaluating everything in my life. Truth is, I just don’t resonate with corporate work anymore – the culture, the work ethic (or lack thereof), the technology, everything came up for debate with me in recent times and I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth the hassle anymore. I couldn’t be bothered playing the game. That meant removing myself from social media because I lost the belief in what I did. It wasn’t valued so why did I bother fighting to show its value. Frankly, I couldn’t be bothered. If I wasn’t valued, I had no place in work. So I walked away. Initially it waa difficult not to take personally but now, being out of it, I see it so crystal clear. I’ve let my mind rest only to realise that it was my peace of mind is most important. So now, I will spend my days doing things I want.
I remember you said that you had moved out of Sydney. I hope you’re loving life. It’ll be great if you can wangle retiring early if you can. It’s the best thing. You have time to just explore. Entire long days ahead where you can just do what you want. The mind is rested, your thinking clear. You get to appreciate what every day offers.
I won’t be getting rid of this blog any time soon. However I am glad I’m off social media. I can’t recognise it anymore.