I “Unretired” at 65. Five Years Later, Here’s What I’ve Learned

When I turned 65 in 2021, I was loving my job as Managing Editor of Next Avenue, the PBS site for people 50+, and running the site’s Money and Work channels. But something was gnawing at me.

I wanted to have time, while I was still healthy enough, to try new things, volunteer, mentor, travel, bolster my friendships and — cliché as it may sound — spend more time with my family. Eliminating work meetings and administrative duties at my job sounded pretty good to me, too.

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So, I decided to take the leap and “unretire.” Sometimes, that word refers to leaving retirement and returning to full-time work for either financial or psychic reasons. But by my definition, unretirement would mean working when I wanted to, where I wanted to and with whom and I wanted to, leaving plenty of newfound time for the other parts of life.

All of those are part of my Ikigai — the Japanese word that, loosely translated, means, the reason to get up in the morning.

Turning the Unretirement Idea Into Reality

Once I realized I wanted to unretire, I needed to turn the idea into reality. So, I gulped and told my Next Avenue boss what I wanted to do and why, giving her five months’ notice to find a replacement before I’d scoot. I also explained that I’d like to continue writing for Next Avenue, as a freelancer, if she and my replacement would let me.

Fortunately, my boss gave my unretirement plan the green light. In January 2022, I began my new chapter, changing my LinkedIn Profile to “unretired” journalist. I think it was the second-best decision I’ve ever made, after choosing to marry my wife.

Not Retired From Life

Here’s the funny thing: These days, when I interview experts for articles, they often say, “I thought you were retired!” I then typically reply: “I retired from my full-time job, but I didn’t retire from life.”

Strangely, even authorities on retirement, aging and work who I speak with often assume the word retirement still carries the traditional definition: a life of leisure with no paid work.  I realize that’s how somepeople choose to retire and that others do so because they can no longer work, due to physical or mental challenges or they find employer age discrimination prevents them from finding part-time work.

But increasingly, more of us in our 50s, 60s and 70s are unretiring because we want to stay engaged, keep learning and supplement our income. Roughly 31% of retirees work for pay and 74% of workers expect to work in retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. In 1996, only 17% of people 65 to 74 worked.

A Tricky Time of Transition

I confess, however, that my transition from full-time work to unretirement wasn’t easy.

The biggest obstacle was dealing with a blank calendar. When I had my Next Avenue job, I pretty much knew how I’d spend each workday, with daily deadlines and frequent, scheduled meetings. In unretirement, I’d need to figure out how to fill my days and how busy I’d want them to be.

Increasingly, more of us in our 50s, 60s and 70s are unretiring because we want to stay engaged, keep learning and supplement our income. Roughly 31% of retirees work for pay and 74% of workers expect to work in retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. In 1996, only 17% of people 65 to 74 worked.

RICHARD EISENBERG, AUTHOR

How I’ve Changed My Unretirement Life

When my unretirement began, I filled up most of my daily calendar blocks, fearing I’d be bored or unmoored with too much free time. Now, some of those blocks are empty than they were initially — or at least, emptier.

Lately, I’ve chosen to work a little less as a freelance writer than when I started my unretirement. I also now volunteer quite a bit more than when my unretirement began.

Most weekends I go to the Furniture Assist charity near me in New Jersey, helping two types of people: on Saturdays, they’re the ones who can’t afford furniture, clothes or household items and rummage through our warehouse to take what they need. On Sundays, they’re donors giving away things they no longer need and want others to have, often resulting from their downsizing or a death in their family. I’m also now on the board of The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), a national nonprofit helping freelance journalists and nonfiction authors make a living. At ASJA, I also help members meet and pitch editors and agents and arrange regular, timely and practical webinars.

Putting a Priority on Health

One thing I’ve insisted on making time for since unretiring: taking better care of my health. As I’ve grown older, I’ve seen the increasing importance of taking better care of my health. I’ve found that doing so is not only useful physically, it helps contain my medical costs by staving off hospital visits, physical therapy and some pricey prescriptions.

So, I am now going to the YMCA twice a week for a morning cardio/exercise class. I also see my primary-care and my medical specialists regularly and take essential prescriptions daily.

My Evolving Unretirement

I didn’t know exactly how I’d create my unretirement when I started and I’d say this life stage has evolved over the past four years and 10 months that I’ve been living it. The birth of two grandchildren has been a delightful surprise and led my wife and I to spend more time in California where they, their parents and our other grown son live.

I’m working harder on reconnecting with old friends and seeing or talking with current ones more often.  Financially, I’m putting more focus on making my money last and dealing with the intricacies of Medicare, Social Security and taxes for people in their 60s and 70s.

My wife, who thinks I’m working too much in retirement, doesn’t think I’m retired. I insist that I am — by my definition.