Member-only story
Life Lessons
Move Boomer, Get Out the Way, Get Out the Way, Boomer
Let the younger generations have their chance to run the world
“Except for an occasional heart attack, I feel as young as I ever did.” Robert Benchley
I was lucky enough to be able to retire early five years ago. Although I still enjoyed my job, I was at a point where it did not challenge me anymore.
Hard To Leave
The problems I encountered were just repeats of problems I solved repeatedly during my career. Experience enables one to develop a solution to a fresh problem from a personal data bank of previous problems and solutions.
Throw in that I had at least two direct reports that could do my job, and I was considering leaving. When my UK-based company decided to transition our division to UK management, it was apparent that it was time to go. It was hard to leave a job I loved, even knowing the timing was right.
After I left, one of my direct reports, ten years younger, got my position. That was satisfying. The thing is, I still have working friends who need to stop. My friends fall into two groups.
The first is those who are as financially stable as they are ever going to be. They have enough money to retire. Competent people ready to replace them surround them. These people have worked for a living too long and do not know how to stop.
The second group is people who, for whatever reason, do not have enough money and are working to keep a roof over their and someone else’s heads. They have responsibilities that keep them getting up each day and going to work no matter their age.
Won’t Retire
One friend works at a company that strongly encourages people to retire at 70. She intends to ignore their attempt to push her out. She apparently wants to expire at work and be found dead on her keyboard. Her identity is strongly yoked into her job.
“It’s not just money concerns that keep baby boomers ― the generation born between 1946 and 1964 ― working. Plenty of older adults want to keep clocking in because their sense of worth and community is tied to their work.” abc4.com, Baby…
